WORCESTER City and Gloucester City could both face punishment after players and managers were involved in ugly scenes at Whaddon Road last night.

Gloucester won the game 2-1 but both sides finished with 10 men and it will be remembered for a mass brawl midway through the second-half.

Following red cards for both City left-back Shabir Khan and Tigers captain Matt Coupe, when the pair clashed off the ball, the aftermath between the two spilled down the tunnel.

Almost every player and members of the coaching staff chased them towards the changing rooms and it took several minutes for referee Michael D’Aguilar to restore order.

It soured a derby which improved after the break, although Worcester were unable to complete the comeback.

City went behind when keeper Matt Sargeant was beaten in the 14th minute following a moment of indecision from Graham Hutchison.

Scott Wilson fired the ball across the six-yard box from the right edge of the penalty area and the Worcester centre-half swept it past Sargeant.

A scrappy affair livened up after the interval and only seven minutes of the second-half had been played before Gloucester doubled their lead.

Matt Groves linked up with Wilson down the right and he lofted the ball over Sargeant.

Worcester were back in it six minutes later when Luke Hubbins delivered a cross from the left and George Williams planted a firm header across Green and into the far corner.

Then came the chaos.

Shabir and Coupe clashed off the ball, with the latter going to ground. Shabir was sent off.

Coupe received treatment but, having returned to the half-way line, was also sent off for his part in the incident.

As Shabir left the field he tried to get at Coupe again which saw players and coaches from both sides tangle.

Suddenly, sparked by an unseen incident in the tunnel, City boss Carl Heeley sprinted off down towards the changing rooms, followed by virtually all the players.

The teams returned to the field soon after and once referee D’Aguilar had spoken to each camp, the managers called their players together for a pep talk.

Worcester had chances to rescue a point once the game got going again with Danny Glover firing wide and Aaron Williams hitting the post.

Wilson also prodded off target for the hosts after Hutchison had slipped.

Worcester City: Sargeant 6, G Williams 7, Shabir 4, Thorley 6, Hutchison 5, Munday 7*, Hubbins 5 (D Williams 86), Sammons 5 (Nelson-Addy 54), A Williams 6, Glover 6 (Walker 90+7), Deeney 6. Subs not used: Heath, Chamberlain.

Attendance: 566.