AFTER four games without a win Worcester tasted victory for the first time last night with a 2-1 win at Stourport.

The old adage in friendlies is that results do not matter but anything less than a win against City's lower league opponents would have been worrying for manager John Barton.

As it was City left it late before stealing victory in the 89th minute when Adam Webster swept in a cross by substitute Duncan Willetts at the near post.

It was hard luck on Swifts who had clawed their way back into the match and equalised through player/manager Tim Langford in the 73rd minute.

City had started with the impressive Michael Blackwood on the left and a series of neat passing movements was rewarded with a Mark Owen goal after 21 minutes.

The striker displayed his predatory instincts to volley a Webster cross home after good build-up work by Blackwood.

Owen had seen an earlier effort disallowed for offside but his pace and touch were excellent and Barton will be praying he can steer clear of injury during the coming campaign.

The fact he was on the pitch was due to a bizarre injury to Marc Burrow after just two minutes when the versatile defender was pole-axed by a back spasm and had to be ignominiously stretchered off, face down.

If City deserved a half time lead, Swifts had given enough indications of their threat.

Richard Gardner missed a glorious chance, blazing over unmarked from eight yards on 25 minutes while Jan Mulders then saw a close range effort cleared.

Asa Charlton sent a free-kick narrowly wide and Langford spurned an opportunity after breaching the City back line to send out yet more warnings to Barton's boys.

At the other end Owen sent a shot fizzing over the bar and a powerful surge by Blackwood illustrated his potency.

After the break Stourport upped their work rate and with challenges flying in left, right and centre City found it difficult to retain possession.

Langford kept exploiting space behind Carl Heeley and Mark Shail and was on hand to punish sloppy defensive work by Paul Carty and Jamie Edwards, sliding home a Tim Nicholls cross.

Blackwood returned to replace Edwards and made a series of strong runs but lacked a final shot.

With just a minute remaining, however, Webster popped up to side-foot home a winner and give Worcester a late but timely boost.

Worcester: McDonnell, Holloway, Shail, Carty, Heeley (Henry), Jackson, Snape, Middleton, Burrow (Owen 7), Webster, Blackwood (Edwards 62, Blackwood 85).

Stourport: Hipkins, Mulders, Ulfig, Charlton, Davies (Laker 76), Nicholls (Webb 73), Stainer, Crisp, Edwards (Giddings 71), Langford, Gardner.