IT was celebrations all round as Worcester City consigned three unwanted records to history in style at St George’s Lane.

Mike Symons, Kieron Morris and Shabir Khan were all on target in a thrilling contest which handed City their first home win of 2013.

More importantly, however, victory brought an end to nine successive defeats in Blue Square Bet North and seven games without a goal.

Symons struck after four minutes, the first time his side had found the net in 639 minutes, but Darren Pond drew the sides level with a deflected effort after 29 minutes.

However, Morris restored the advantage nine minutes before the break and Shabir extended it in the 64th minute with a bullet header.

Substitute Nick Stanley’s goal 12 minutes from time made it a nervy finish but City held on, helped by a fine save from Matt Sargeant to deny Jamie Cook.

Matt Breeze, Symons and Tom Thorley were also all booked by pedantic referee Daniel Meeson during the opening half, the latter for the first time this season.

Shabir and Tyler Weir followed in the second period along with Oxford’s Declan Benjamin, Liam Malone and Callum McNish.

More than 10 hours without a goal was finally ended after just four minutes of a feisty encounter. The ball was nodded into the path of Symons and he made no mistake in slamming home his 13th goal of the season.

The relief was there for all to see with the players mobbing each other and manager Carl Heeley performing a somersault down the touchline in celebration.

That seemed to fire City up but they were pegged back seconds after Sargeant had spilled a long-range strike from Steve Basham.

Worcester were unable to clear their lines with the ball pinging around their box and Pond’s shot deflected off Weir and beyond the helpless grasp of Sargeant.

Moments later, the home keeper produced a superb flying save to tip away Adam Learoyd’s goal-bound header.

But, having waited so long for a goal, Heeley’s side restored their lead nine minutes before the break.

Thorley’s free-kick fell to Morris on the left side of the area and he drilled the ball beyond Nick Townsend.

Worcester picked up where they left off after the break and Thorley drew an acrobatic save from Townsend before the hosts moved further clear.

The midfielder planted a corner kick into the box and Shabir met the ball with a powerful header to leave the keeper with no chance.

Still City surged forward looking for more and Symons chipped an effort onto the roof of the net following good work by sub Michael Taylor.

Oxford pulled one back when Lee Ayres, who earlier had an effort chalked off for offside, failed to clear and Stanley drove the ball home but it couldn’t deny City a deserved triumph.

City: Sargeant 9*, Weir 7, Shabir 8, Thorley 8, Ayres 7, Elvins 7, Reece 7, Breeze 8, Symons 8, Moore 7 (Taylor 69), Morris 8. Subs not used: Birley, Beardsley, Williams, Rowe.

Attendance: 597.