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City's Jon Munday (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after scoring Worcester's goal at St George's Lane.

WORCESTER City were held to a 1-1 draw by Alfreton Town in their penultimate home Blue Square North match of the season.

Jon Munday headed in Mark Danks' free-kick on 33 minutes to give them the lead in a fiery contest but the Derbyshire side earned a deserved point when Jordan Hall's 30-yard pile-driver deceived Cameron Belford 15 minutes from time.

Keeper Belford otherwise had an impressive game, making several crucial saves to deny Alfreton with the score at 1-0. The result also means the sides have drawn on each of the four occasions they have met at St George's Lane since the formation of Conference North.

As expected, City, already missing George Clegg and Graham Ward, were without Troy Wood, Jamie Price and Chris Smith following Saturday's 1-0 setbsack at Stalybridge.

Assistant manager Carl Heeley was drafted in alongside Munday in the centre of defence, while Danks and Shabir Khan were handed their first starts since injury.

Just five minutes had elap-sed when Danks' strike was deflected towards goal by Craig Wilding but keeper Laurence Matthewson gathered comfortably.

Gary Walker planted a header on target from Matt Dinsmore's cross three minutes later but Matthewson was equal to it.

Danny Reet headed wide from Josh Law's cross on 11 minutes but Alfreton came agonisingly close to taking the lead nine minutes later when Reet was twice denied by two goal-line clearances.

Heeley then stabbed the ball past the post from Danks' cross before the Worcester striker, taking the free-kicks and corners in the absence of Price and Clegg, turned Chris Walton before stinging Matthewson's palms on the half-hour.

Brian Cusworth forced Belford to save low shortly afterwards but City were ahead three minutes later. Danks floated in a free-kick from the left and Munday arrived unchallenged to head past Matthewson.

Cusworth was booked as the half drew to a close for his part in an altercation with Belford before setting up Law to drive wide.

Matt Wilson glided through the City defence four minutes after the break and squared the ball for Reet but the Alfreton striker blazed over.

Belford did well three minutes later to push Law's free-kick on to the crossbar and then got down low to deny Reet at his near post as Alfreton pressed. The City keeper also flew to his left to deny Law on 65 minutes.

However, Belford was finally beaten on 75 minutes. Hall shot from the best part of 30 yards and the City custodian could only help the ball into the bottom corner.

Alfreton looked the more likely to win the match after that and almost got a second when substitute Paul Clayton's shot was saved by Belford.

City: Belford 8*, Clarke 7, Khan 6, Heeley 7, Munday 8, Walker 6, Colley 6, Nwadike 6, Dinsmore 7, Wilding 6, Danks (Burtoft 79) 8. Subs not used: D Smith, Tyack, Brown.

Attendance: 669.

6:39pm Monday 24th March 2008

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