CHRIS CORNES has commended his sides' performance, as well as the run they have been on, after they bested Redditch United in the Worcestershire County Cup.
The match, which sees Worcester progress through to the semi finals, saw a last-minute winner from Zac Guinan. Worcester put in a great performance against a Redditch side that are a level above them, despite spending the last 20 minutes with 10 men.
"A hell of a performance," said Cornes. "The ref has tried to ruin what was quite a good game to be fair, from start to finish, with some really bad decisions.
"But our character, our dedication and that grit that we’ve had. I thought we were brilliant in the first half, I thought we outplayed them and then obviously we’ve gone down to ten men in the second half and we have probably played 20-odd minutes with 10, and I thought again we were the better team.
"They chucked everything at us and the back four and the keeper have stood firm, the midfield have worked hard. It was a testament to the lads that have come off the bench. I thought Elliott Hartley was brilliant and Zac [Guinan] has come on and scored a goal at the end."
"They’re a level above so it shows how far we have come from last season to this season. We had a bit of a rut and then we’ve come out the other side of it. Were on a bit of a crest of a wave at the minute, we just need to keep it going."
Worcester fell down to ten men, after Kyle Belmonte received a controversial second yellow for a shoulder barge on the edge of the pitch, which caused a Redditch player to hit into an advertising board.
"It is never a yellow card," said Cornes. "I said to [the referee], if the boarding was not in close proximity, he doesn’t hit the board and just rolls of the pitch a little bit then its probably not a booking and he goes ‘yeah I agree, its what has happened after’.
"It shouldn’t cloud his judgement. If that happens in the middle of the pitch, it is not a yellow card and that has clouded his judgement and that is why I thought the referee was poor all night."
Cornes elected to bring Guinan off the bench with five minutes of normal time to go, the decision to make that substitution was ultimately what made the difference for City.
"Maybe a bit of a masterstroke from me making the substitution, he has come on and scored and we have gone on and won the game," said Cornes. "You don’t score those if your confidence isn’t there. I just said to Zac go out and try to win me the game. I said the same to Elliott with his pace, and luckily we were on the right side of the result today."
Despite a great victory in what was a hostile away game, Cornes is already looking ahead to Worcester's league fixture against Boldmere St Michaels this Saturday.
Cornes said: "The league is the priority. We have obviously got to try and get through to the New Year in the position that we are in. I don’t think we will get this cup game maybe until the New Year now. It’s a nice distraction in the New Year but for now we have got to concentrate on the league and keep getting results together.
"Three clean sheets on the trot now, we are building a good foundation to go off of and we have just got to keep working hard."
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