Worcester City 3, Hinckley LR 2

Goals from Taylor Townsend, Will Owens and Elliott Hartley were enough to hand Worcester City victory over Northern Premier Midland visitors Hinckley but it was far from plain sailing for the Claines Lane side.

City went into the game looking to halt a dismal run of results that had seen them lose their last three league games and exit the FA Trophy in the first qualifying round at the hands of Hinckley who made the trip to Worcestershire still looking for their first win in the division.

And the early signs were that it would be the home side that would be turning the corner as they dominated the first half, taking a two-goal lead into the break.

It took 17 minutes for City to make the breakthrough. Hartley picked out Townsend on the left flank who then nipped inside his marker before planting a shot beyond Jake Laban in the Hinckley goal.

Hartley was close to doubling the lead three minutes later when his volley rattled the upright but it was only a matter of time before they added to their tally and it was Owens who happily obliged with a free-kick curled around the wall from just outside the area.

Tempers boiled over just before the interval following a crunching tackle from City defender Charlie Wise but the referee kept his cards in his pocket, on this occasion at least.

The start of the second period saw the lively Hartley continue to torment the visiting defenders and he forced a save from Laban soon after the restart.

But what looked like being a straightforward afternoon for City took a turn just after the hour when rock bottom Hinckley pulled a goal back when striker Liam Reed chased a through ball and lashed his shot over keeper Haydn Whitcombe.

Not that the goal knocked the hosts off their stride for long though as they scored their third just a minute later. This time it was Townsend the provider for Hartley who made no mistake.

Worcester failed to learn their lesson though as the visitors struck again 15 minutes from the end with a carbon copy of their opener, Read again finding space in behind the City defence before finishing with ease.

Hinckley, boosted by the goal, went in search of an equaliser but the home defence held firm to secure the three points to lift them back into the play-off places ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Darlaston Town.