WORCESTER City manager Chris Cornes says his side will not get carried away after their dominant victory over Anstey Nomads on the opening day of the league season.

City recovered from an early setback to brush aside last season’s beaten play-off finalists, as defender Charlie Wise’s brace and Will Owens superb strike capped an impressive start to the promoted Blue and Whites’ Northern Premier League Midlands Division campaign.

Wise and Owens were not the only summer recruits to catch the eye and Cornes felt the scoreline did not flatter his side.

“I thought we were very good all over the pitch. There was a great structure, work rate and desire and the communication skills were very good, which is something we’ve worked on,” Cornes said.

“It could have been a lot more with the chances we created but with them being in the play-offs last year, I thought it was a good start. We won’t get carried away – we might have caught them on a bad day – but it’s three points on the board.”

Bathed in glorious sunshine, it was the visitors that stunned City by taking an early lead on seven minutes through Leo Brown’s back-post header. 

City were stirred into life and Zac Guinan’s powerful drive was blocked by keeper Conrad Logan. 

The momentum was with City and they went close again two minutes later through Nathan Hayward’s lobbed effort that dropped inches over the bar.  

Worcester’s persistence was rewarded just before the half-hour mark. Liam Lockett took aim from the edge of the box and beat Logan low to his right. 

City refused to take their foot off the gas and the turnaround was complete five minutes later.

Logan made a mess of trying to grab Adam Mace’s corner, allowing Wise to head City in front.  

The hosts pulled further clear on 40 minutes. Owens collected the ball 25 yards out before unleashing a left-footed thunderbolt past Logan.  

After the break, Lockett narrowly headed over a glorious chance to grab his second from Owens’ excellent cross.  

Instead, it was Wise who completed his brace on 72 minutes by burying a header into the bottom corner from Mace’s free-kick to ensure there was no way back for the deflated visitors.