WORCESTER Raiders' unbeaten start to their Hellenic League Division One continued at Sixways on Wednesday night after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Stonehouse Town.

Issac Cooper's second-half double proved decisive as Raiders eventually overcame a stubborn Stonehouse side.

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Cooper's flicked header and a ruthless first-time finish 15 minutes later secured the points despite a late rally from the visitors when Worcester's Dan Flowers was sent-off.

It really was a tale of two halves and Raiders were less than convincing in the first but showed their class in the second to make it two-from-two to begin the campaign.

The home side could and maybe should have gone a goal behind inside the first 10 minutes when the visiting striker went through one-on-one with home keeper Matt Gwynne, but the Worcester man dug his team out of a hole with a great stop.

Stonehouse were arguably the better side in the first period and they again went close when they smashed the underside of the bar just after the half-hour mark.

Raiders did have their best chance in stoppage time of the first period when Kyonn Evans went through on goal after a mistake from the visitors, but his shot drifted over the bar.

It was an improved showing after the break and it took just ten minutes for Raiders to take the lead.

Joe Billingham's pin-point free-kick was delicately flicked on by Cooper's head and it looped inside the far post.

It was a fiery affair and there was no shortage of protestations and challenges, one in particular that sparked a brief melee on the touchline that eventually saw two coaches given a yellow card.

The home team had their tails up and ten minutes later they doubled their lead as Reiss Taylor Eandle turned the right-back inside out before pulling it back to Cooper in the box, who smashed home from close range fist time.

There was some late drama as tempers frayed and Flowers saw red for an off the ball incident with ten minutes to go but in truth, the visitors rarely troubled Gwynne in the sticks.

Two from two, six points from six, a good start for the Raiders.