City eased their way into the Third Qualifying Round of the F.A. Cup thanks to the S-Club three, Stevenson, Simpson and Sadler. Two goals in five second half minutes as good as settled the tie, Dave Sadler added the coup de gras three minutes from the end.

With only one change from the side that had won at Bognor, Jon Stevenson replacing Dale Binns, City, backed by a superb away record this season had every reason to think that they could get a positive result against a Worcester side on a poor run of form. However it didn’t look like that was to be the case until they finally, in the second period, recaptured the form that has seen them rise to fourth in the Nationwide South.

Rob Miller puts Jon Stevenson through on goal

Worcester began brightly and in only the second minute forced City’s keeper, Alan Calton, to take the ball off Colin Hoyles head as the defender homed in on Adam Webster’s dangerous cross. City countered immediately, Simpson finding Carl Williams in acres of space on the right. His cross was gathered at the second attempt by home stopper Danny McDonnell with Sadler lurking.

Worcester continued to press and Rob Warner’s heavy tackle on Lee Chaffey won the ball deep in City’s half, Webster crossed into the box, the ball running loose to Liam Mcdonald who cracked in a low drive that Calton did well to stop low down to his right. The home side didn’t stop there and Richard Scott’s loose pass was intercepted by Nick Colley who sprinted up the flank before delivering onto the head of former Cambridge Utd striker Leon Kelly, but his effort went harmlessly wide.

It was not one way traffic though and Simpson had a good chance when he was set up by Stevenson. The diminutive striker did well to out-muscle centre-half Colin Hoyle before rolling the ball invitingly into the path of Simpson who sent a well struck curling shot just over angle of post and crossbar.

As the half progressed, it was clear City were unable to get their passing game going, possession was gifted away too easily. Worcester were seeing a good deal of the ball and enjoying a fair bit of penetration down the right hand side, mainly through lively wide man, Colley. Webster almost benefitted from one of his centres on fifteen minutes but in the end his header never looked like troubling Calton as it looped over the bar.

Shortly afterwards, McDonnell was injured in a clash with his own defender, Carl Heeley, as a cross flew into the area. Following lengthy treatment, he returned to action but looked less than comfortable.

Stevenson is pushed to the ground by Carl Heeley

Despite not being at their best, City still posed a threat and McDonnell did well on the half hour to smother Stevenson’s close range shot after the striker had collected Simpson’s low cross and turned Hoyle.

It was an important stop as only four minutes later, Worcester grabbed the lead. Following a corner on the right, the City defence never really the ball clear, it was returned into the danger area and indicision between Scott and Rob Miller saw Hoyle nip between them and plant a crisp finish from 18 yards past Calton’s dispairing dive. City should have levelled almost straight away. Miller’s clever backheel put Stevenson through with a clear sight of goal but he struck his shot too weakly and McDonnell saved.

Worcester found themselves forced to make a change at the break. MacDonnell, who had been injured earlier on was taken to hospital with a suspected punctured lung, young keeper Lewis Skyers taking his place.

No doubt manager Gary Roberts had something to say to his men at the break following their first-half showing, but whatever it was it hadn’t quite sunk in as it was City who were on the backfoot in the early stages of the second period. A number of dangerous crosses and corners had to be repelled, home full-back Allan Davies was unlucky to see his full-blooded goalbound drive rebound off an unsuspecting Williams on the six yard line and bounce to safety. City’s uncertainty continued and a poor clearance saw the ball fall to Les Hines, but he flashed his shot over the bar.

City eventually settled and hit back, carving out a golden chance to pull level after 59 minutes. Warner saw his fierce shot charged down and City broke at speed. Sadler found Stevenson on the right, the former Leicester City man twisted this way and that, leading the home defence a merry dance and leaving two defenders on their backsides before cutting inside, but with the goal at his mercy he again failed to get any power in his shot and Skyers collected without much trouble. However, Stevenson did not have to wait long for a chance to make amends, two minutes later and parity was restored and a great goal it was. Worcester could only watch as City stroked the ball around, a superb twelve pass move developed culminating with Miller’s neat flick into the path of Stevenson who this time made no mistake, sidefooting home from eight yards.

Lee Chaffey and Leon Kelly put their heads together

The home side were visibly deflated and Davies was inches away from heading a Scott free-kick into his own net as City took a stranglehold on proceedings. Stevenson so nearly headed City in front as he was picked out by Sadler’s cross before Simpson gave the visitors the advantage, poking home the loose ball after Skyers had parried his bullet header.

Worcester looked a beaten side and although substitute Jai Stanley went close with an 80th minute free-kick, they never really looked like getting back into things. It was City who looked good to find the back of the net again and Simpson should have doubled his personal tally when Stevenson’s flick presented him with a shooting chance but the youngster blazed over the bar. Despite this, City did put the game beyond doubt with three minutes remaining. Catching the home side pushing forward, City struck with a classic counter attack, Sadler sprinting on to Stevenson’s pass to crack a shot past Skyers from 18 yards.

In the closing stages with tempers beginning to flair, Kelly was lucky not to be shown the red card after kicking a prone Glen Fuff after the two had a coming together. Fortunately for the striker, referee Kevin Milford was in benevolent mood.

City nearly made a bad day even worse for Worcester by scoring a fourth in injury time when Sadler again took advantage of the wide open spaces in the home defence, but his shot after a fine run was well saved by Skyers.