Match report by Gareth Evans

Oh, Danny Boy!

A beautifully-struck free kick by Danny Lloyd, three minutes before half-time, proved the difference as the Hatters secured a single-goal triumph against Worcester City – together with a second clean sheet of the Bank Holiday weekend.

The win – County’s first in five – brought the National League North’s gruelling seven-match August schedule to a bright conclusion in the sunshine at Edgeley Park, which had last witnessed a home victory on the opening day of the season.

The Hatters’ starting line-up – once again in a 4-2-3-1 formation – featured two changes from that which had taken to the field at Telford two days earlier. Scott Duxbury and Kay Odejayi returned from their respective injuries to replace Courtney Meppen-Walter and Josh Amis (both of whom were named on the bench).    

The majority of the first half saw County enjoy the greater share of possession and chances. Lloyd grazed the bar with the first corner of the contest after just six minutes, and two goal-bound shots from Duxbury – one of which struck Graham Hutchison in the face to force an early Worcester substitution – took deflections away from their intended target.

But just as it seemed the teams would not be separated before half-time, the Hatters were awarded a free kick, following a foul on Lewis Montrose, just outside the Worcester ‘D’ – and up stepped Lloyd to fire County ahead with an exquisite delivery that flew into the top-left corner.
HALF-TIME: County 1 (Lloyd, 42), Worcester 0.

The second half continued in much the same vein – as, despite a plethora of corners for both teams, County’s Number One Ben Hinchliffe was rarely tested, and the best scoring opportunities fell the way of the home side.

Indeed – and just as they had done in the first half – the Hatters struck the bar after the break courtesy of an in-swinging corner by Lloyd. On this occasion, a Tyler Weir deflection helped the ball on its way to the woodwork and – to the Worcester defender’s relief – behind, rather than into, the Cheadle End goal.

County continued to dominate, and had a number of further opportunities to extend the advantage – most notably three minutes from time, when John Marsden beat the offside trap with only Ethan Ross to beat, but saw his shot blocked by the legs of the visiting goalkeeper.

In the grander scheme of things, however, it mattered little – and the pleasure at the final whistle over rediscovering that winning feeling was demonstratively clear among County players and Twelfth Man representatives alike.

FULL-TIME: County 1 (Lloyd, 42), Worcester 0.

Team: Hinchliffe, Ross (Capt.), Duxbury, Montrose, Clarke, Smalley, Minihan, Stopforth, Odejayi (Amis, 57), Marsden (Meppen-Walter, 90), Lloyd (Rule, 84).

Unused Subs: Ormson, Spencer.

Booked: Duxbury.

Man of the Match: Lloyd.

Attendance: 2,514 (24 away).