WORCESTER City took a step closer to Wembley with a 1-0 win against Great Wakering Rovers in the FA Vase Semi-Final first leg.
Elliott Hartley’s second half strike was enough for Chris Cornes’s side to take a lead into next Saturday’s crucial second leg.
City started brightly, with Jordan Lymn blazing the first effort of the game over four minutes in.
The excited Sixways crowd only had to wait another six minutes for more goalmouth action, with Kyle Belmonte finding Kyonn Evans free at the back post, who hit the side netting.
Belmonte turned provider yet again 10 minutes later, slipping in Lymn who beat the keeper, but he couldn’t generate enough power with his effort and it was cleared off the line.
But despite their pressure, City were fortunate not to go into half time behind.
A loose pass was pounced on by Hafeez Elegushi, who rounded keeper Haydn Whitcombe, but his tame effort gave Worcester’s number one the chance to recover.
Rovers had another good effort after halftime, with Whitcombe forced into a save after the ball was stolen off Kirk Layton.
Belmonte decided to have an effort of his own five minutes later, with a glorious strike from the edge of the area curling inches wide.
City had the ball in the back of the net on 66 minutes, with Chris Knight heading home from a deflected corner, but it was disallowed.
Elliott Hartley came on for the hosts after 72 minutes, and he didn’t take long to have an impact.
Five minutes after coming on, the City midfielder sent Sixways into raptures by curling the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.
That goal secured City’s 23rd consecutive win in all competitions and keeps their hopes of a quadruple of trophies alive.
