WORCESTER City are into the third round of the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup after a 4-2 win over Step 6 side Cheltenham Saracens at Claines Lane.

The lower-level side took a surprise lead in the 20th minute when Jamie Goodwin raced through on goal and finished past Joe Stockton, given a rare start by City boss Cornes.

The response was swift from the hosts and they were soon level via the head of Elliot Hartley and shortly after the restart they were ahead as captain Adam Mace's corner beat everyone and nestled in the far corner.

Jamie Insall fired home four minutes later to make it three but Saracens refused to go away and they reduced the deficit when a cross deflected into the net off Lorcan Sheehan.

Hopes of a huge upset were dashed pretty quickly, however, as defender Kirk Layton headed home from a Mace corner to make it 4-2 and City saw out the game to reach the third round.

In a season where City are competing on all fronts, this is not a competition high on the priority list, but boss Cornes still named a strong side for the visit of a Saracens side struggling in the division below.

Insall went close in quick succession early on as City looked to get an early goal but it was the visitors who stunned those in attendance when Goodwin was played through and showed great composure to finish high into the net.

It did act as a wake-up call for Worcester and the expected response was good. Hartley's looped header from Insall's cut-back brought them level and it should have been 2-1 going into the break after Hartley hit the post when clean through on goal.

Two goals in quick succession at the start of the second-half looked to have killed off the tie. There was an element of fortune about the first of those as Mace's corner somehow cleared everyone and found the back of the net.

Insall clinically dispatched a strike from 12 yards after a brilliant first touch to make it 3-1 and the game looked done. But when a cross flew in off Sheehan, the away side had a lifeline at 3-2.

However, the result and Saracens were finally put to bed 23 minutes from time when Layton headed home at the back post from a corner.