AN ETHAN Moore hat-trick put Worcester City’s league woes to one side as they claimed a convincing 3-0 victory over Ramsbottom United in the FA Trophy at Aggborough on Sunday (November 17).
In a game that threatened to boil over at times, a goal four minutes before half time and two in the second half were enough to see City through to the first round, where they will face AFC Telford United.
The striker’s treble means the club are £4,000 better off and also ended a four game streak without a goal for City, a period in which had seen them drop to the bottom of the Skrill Conference North.
In a cagey opening to the cup tie Niall Thompson fired over from distance for the hosts, before Owen Roberts curled a free-kick just wide from 20 yards for the Rams.
After half an hour Worcester had two great chances to take the lead against their lower league opposition, Daniel Nti’s shot on the run was tipped over the far corner by Grant Shenton, before the keeper was quick to deny Nti at his feet when one-on-one.
City’s class paid off after 41 minutes when the lively Thompson ran at the heart of the visitors defence and fed the ball into Moore, who cooly slotted the ball past Shenton to make it 1-0.
Tempers flared early in the second half with both sides fully committed to the cause, with Sam Smith and Jon Robinson clashing on a number of occasions, but it was the hosts that stamped their authority on the game after 67 minutes.
Substitute Danny Glover’s lobbed ball caused confusion in the Ramsbottom defence, and Moore nipped in to take the ball off a hesitant Shelton and roll it into an empty net.
The visitors almost pulled one back a minute later with their first major chance of the game as Dominic Smalley’s cross found the on-rushing Lee Gaskell, but his flicked header went narrowly over the bar.
Carl Heeley’s men confirmed their place in the first round with ten minutes remaining after a long clearance from debut keeper Ryan Boot was allowed to bounce and Moore again stole in round the back of the defence and prodded home for his hat-trick.
In the last minute of normal time the striker had the chance of a fourth but he was just inches away from connecting with Glover’s flick on in the box as City claimed a 3-0 success.
Manager Heeley said: “I’m sure there would have been a few people turning up today expecting an upset, they’re on a great run of form and we’re down there at the bottom of the league, so the recipe was there for an upset but the players have got some character and they’ve done a professional job today.
“We were looking to progress today, and we’ve done it comfortably, we’ve scored some goals and now we have to try and use today as a springboard for the league campaign.
“We were there to be shot down, we haven’t been and we now move on positively to the next league game.”
Worcester travel to Stalybridge Celtic for their next Skrill Conference North game on Saturday (November 23), kick off 3pm.
Jonny Bonell reporting from Aggborough
Attendance: 341
