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MANAGER Richard Dryden reckons there is not much to choose between Worcester City and Stalybridge Celtic.

James Dean's goal mid-way through the second-half proved decisive at Bower Fold on Saturday and left City sitting 10th in Blue Square North.

In contrast, the result was Celtic's seventh consecutive victory and keeps them firmly on course to reach the play-offs.

That dream may have long gone for Worcester, but Dryden thinks his side were equal to their opponents before Dean's 69th-minute goal.

Worcester were also forced to patch-up their side after seeing Troy Wood, Chris Smith and Jamie Price sustain injuries before half-time, with Shabir Khan, Mark Danks and William Ricketts all starting the second-half.

Boss Dryden said: "It was one of those games where we were always in it but it just seemed to pass us by. It's a strange old game, they looked like they might nick one but we were always in the game.

"We picked up three injuries in the first-half and had to move all the subs on at half-time, and a couple of seconds before, so I am a little bit disappointed.

"We had one or two dangerous crosses in the first-half but I think we deserved to be going in at half-time level.

"With the wind going up the hill in the second-half we found it a bit of a struggle to get out, to clear our lines and it looked a bit farcical sometimes with the wind.

"But we dug in, they got the goal and we had to gamble for the last 15-20 minutes putting three up front because we had Mark Danks playing on the right, Nick Colley playing on the left and we were all over the shop."

He added: "If we came off 0-0, albeit they probably had a lot more possession in the second-half, you would think that was probably a fair result. They've got some decent players with pace and power, all of a decent age. But I've got young players coming through, learning quickly and if I can get one or two old heads in to help them on the pitch I think we're not far away."

Dryden was complimentary towards his young guns after Wood, Gary Walker and Matt Dinsmore once again figured in the starting line-up and Ricketts got 45 minutes as a substitute.

The manager said: "They are going to learn all the time but you are not always going to get consistency with young players. Gary Walker keeps on going, as do Troy and Matt, but a lot of them looked tired.

"William Ricketts did well but we're trying to fill the squad up with young players again. We haven't got any old ones to come on and we can't get any old ones in at the moment, which is my job to do at the end of the season now."

He added: "It was Danksy's third game and he's going to look a little bit tired when he does come on because he's been out for so long and, with the injuries, he had to play wide right.

"We know he is a forward player, he just did us a favour to fill in a hole while it was 0-0."

5:30pm Sunday 23rd March 2008

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