Worcester City v Blyth Spartans (Match Preview)

BLUE SQUARE BET NORTH

Venue: St. George's Lane, Worcester (WR1 1QT)
Date: Saturday 30 April, 2011
Kick Off: 3pm

Score Updates:-

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Admission Details:

Adults - £11
Concessions (OAPs/Students with ID) - £7
Children (Under-16s) - £3
Stand Transfer - £1

Programme - £2

Leave the M5 at Junction 6 (Worcester North) and follow the signs towards Worcester along the A449.

Follow the dual carriageway until you come to a roundabout.

Take the 2nd turning towards Worcester. Stay on this road (Ombersley Road) for about a mile until you reach a T-junction and traffic lights.

Take a right turn at the T-junction; St. Georges Lane North is the third turning on the left between a tool hire shop and the In-Toto kitchen showrooms.

As you travel up St. George's Lane, you will see the floodlight pylons of the ground; follow the road until you reach the front of the ground (very prominent.)

Car parking is road side only - it is best to carry on past the front of the ground over the canal bridge and up Merriman's Hill road and park on the side of this road.

Sat-Navs: the postcode for the stadium is WR1 1QT.

Latest starting line-ups:

Worcester City (1-3 v Hyde, April 23): Coleman, Carwright (Birley 46), Charlton, Thorley, Elvins, Clarke, Bottomer (Dinsmore 80), O'Connor, Glover, Richman, Quaynor. Subs not used: Evans, Hurren, Clyde.

Blyth Spartans (0-0 v Guiseley, April 23): Lowson, Buchanan, Cave, Tait, Swailes, White, Hooks, Turnbull, Brayson, Deverdics, O'Mahoney. Subs not used: Alexander, Dale, Ridley, Cunningham.

Worcester are currently decimated with injuries, with no fewer than six players - Tom Thorley, Rob Elvins, Marc McGregor, Shabir Khan, Tim Sandercombe and Josh Emery - out of action. In addition, Neil Cartwright was taken off at half-time, through illness, during Monday's game.

Rob Dale will be hoping for a start, after remaining an unused substitute against Guiseley. Other than that, Blyth appear to be in good health for the season closer and were able to name a full bench - for the first time for quite a while - on Monday.

Blyth bring their league season to a close with a trip to Worcester, in what has been a fantastic season for the club. A guaranteed top nine finish - added to an appearance in the FA Trophy Quarter Finals and a place in the Northumberland Senior Cup final - has seen Mick Tait's men better all other efforts in the division, since Spartans' inaugural season in the division four years ago.

Blyth still have the chance to leapfrog Droylsden into Eighth during the final round of matches, but will only do so if they are victorious and the Manchester side are not.

Like Blyth, 17th-placed Worcester have nothing to play for bar final standings, where they still have the chance of finishing as high as 14th.

Both sides are experiencing a poor run of form, with a combined 12 games without a win, and will want to finish the season on a high.

Carl Heeley

This is Heeley's first job in management. The 41-year-old ex-defender spent 11 years at City during his playing career (1994-2005.) Heeley - who made over 500 appearances for the club - rejoined Worcester as an assistant, before taking over as manager in March 2010, following a spell as caretaker boss.

Danny Glover

Son of ex-Middlesborough and Port Vale defender Dean Glover, Danny joined his dad at Vale in 2007 and rose up through the ranks. Danny made 41 Football League appearances with the club and also had loan spells at Salisbury City, Rochdale and Stafford Rangers.

After being released last summer by then-manager Micky Adams, Glover signed for Worcester, where the 21-year-old has so far scored 15 goals during his debut season at the club.

Worcester:

- Have not won in seven games, since a 2-0 victory against Gainsborough a month ago.
- Their biggest away defeat this season was the 3-0 loss at Croft Park back in September.
- Five teams have already done the double over Worcester this season (Alfreton, Droylsden, Harrogate, Solihull and Workington.)

Blyth Spartans:

- Paul Brayson needs a double in this game if he is to reach 25 league goals this season.
- Spartans have the chance to achieve only their second double of the season (after Hyde) if they take all three points.
- Blyth are without a win in five games and have failed to score in their last four.

Blyth Spartans 3-0 Worcester City (September 11, 2010)
Blue Square North.
Attendance: 397
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Match Footage

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Match Photos

Previous Clashes

2010/2011 - Conference North - Blyth Spartans 3-0 Worcester City (Brayson, Tait, Deverdics)
2007/2008 - Conference North - Blyth Spartans 6-0 Worcester City (Dale 3, Dalton, Birks, Robinson)
2007/2008 - Conference North - Worcester City 2-2 Blyth Spartans (McCabe, Dale)
2006/2007 - Conference North - Blyth Spartans 2-2 Worcester City (Bell, Moffat)
2006/2007 - FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round Replay - Worcester City 1-1 Blyth Spartans (L Gildea) - Blyth lost 5-4 on penalties
2006/2007 - FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round - Blyth Spartans 1-1 Worcester City (McCabe)
2006/2007 - Conference North - Worcester City 3-2 Blyth Spartans (Graham, Leeson)

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Referee: M A Bingham

Assistants: R Cutts & S Postin

Worcester: 13/10
Draw: 5/2
Blyth Spartans: 6/4