JAMES Batchelor scored his first senior goal for Worcester City as Chris Cornes' men battled past a stubborn Calne Town side in the first round of the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup on Tuesday.

City were made to work for their win but first-half goals from Jamie Insall and Lorcan Sheehan were added to late on by Liam Lockett and Batchelor as the visitors eventually cruised through to the second round.

Hellenic League Division One side Calne were big underdogs in the fixture and Cornes took the chance to make some changes ahead of Saturday's rearranged FA Vase clash with Sleaford, with the likes of Cam Monteith, Sheehan, Robbie Thompson-Brown and Jamie Insall all given starts.

In fairness to the hosts, they made the better start to the cup tie and put the City back four under the cosh with Haydn Whitcombe forced into an early save to deny Calne's Jack Smith.

The lower-level home side piled on the pressure in search of a breakthrough but it didn't arrive and City eventually grew into the game, striker Insall having an effort blocked on the line by a home defender.

And then, in the 22nd minute, the visitors made the breakthrough as stand-in left-back Monteith made a burst to the byline before cutting it back to a waiting Insall, who side-footed into the net for the opener.

One quickly became two as Sheehan looped a long-range header from a corner back into the far corner and City had the cushion they would have wanted.

Any thoughts that Worcester might run away with it were proved wrong as the game wore on and Calne twice went close to reducing the deficit before the break but efforts from Jordan Kirk and Josh Bright were off target.

The second-half was a scrappy, stop-start affair that was not helped by the rain and the referee's  whistle.

Neither side really created much for 20 minutes and Cornes took the decision to make some changes, bringing on the youngsters Reece Day and Batchelor, as well as the in-form Dylan Hart.

But it was the hosts who looked the most likely to score and Bright crashed a curling effort off the post to give City a real scare.

But with five minutes to go, Worcester finally put the game to bed as Lockett's curling effort beat Bailey Leach at his near post.

With the game done, there was to be a stand-out moment in the game as young Batchelor went past a couple of tackles in the Calne box before slotting past Leach for his first goal in City blue in stoppage time.

He celebrated joyfully with his teammates and the travelling supporters behind the goal as City booked their spot in the second round of the cup, making it seven wins in a row in all competitions in the process.