FC United of Manchester 0-2 Worcester City
Vanarama National League North
Attendance: 3,619
WORCESTER City secured back to back league wins for the first time this season with an impressive and hard-fought 2-0 victory at FC United of Manchester.
Despite playing half of the game with ten men, due to Lee Hughes’ straight red card, a goal in each half – one from Hughes and substitute Tristian Dunkley – secured a big three points in front of more than 3,600 fans.
The Friday night encounter started with chances few and far between but after an even first 15 minutes, Worcester took the lead.
Daniel Nti’s raking ball from the right found Hughes on the edge of the box. The striker brought it down elegantly, took a touch inside his man and curled his effort into the bottom corner.
City continued to press with optimism as Danny Jackman fired over from range before the lively Nti headed just too high.
Just five minutes before the break the visitors looked to have doubled their lead and it was that man Nti who caused havoc down the right before driving a ball across the face of goal whcih Shaun Harrad was just unable to force over the line.
If fans had seen the very best of Hughes earlier in the half, some of the bad was to follow when he reacted angrily to a challenge by United’s Dean Stott and grabbed the midfielder round the neck. The referee brandished a straight red.
The Manchester outfit came out in the second period with a renewed sense of belief as Jerome Wright burst through the heart of the City midfield only for his shot to be headed clear by Alex Gudger.
Numerical advantage was starting to tell as Sean Cooke shot over the bar after a fine run and Sam Madely’s free kick after 65 minutes was well saved by Nathan Vaughan.
Vaughan then tipped a long range effort from Matthew Wolfenden over the top and Madely wasted a glorious chance with ten minutes remaining when he blazed high from inside the six yard box.
And with just one minute of normal time remaining the Blue and Whites wrapped up the three points when Deon Burton released the pacey dunkley down the left and the winger bore down on goal and finished past Lewis King.