WORCESTER City booked their place in the FA Trophy second round after a vintage display saw them brush aside Skrill Conference North high-flyers AFC Telford United 3-0.
Three goals in a blistering eight first-half minutes saw City through the replay against their Shropshire rivals at New Bucks Head and set up an away tie with Conference Premier side Aldershot in the next round.
Daniel Nti, Ellis Deeney and Aaron Williams capped a memorable 24 hours for the visitors, after it emerged the club had been released from its St Modwen contract to build a stadium off Nunnery Way.
Ryan Young started where he left off in the 0-0 draw at Aggborough after Danny Glover fed the ball the Nti in the area but the Bucks stopper beat away the frontman’s powerful drive.
After 20 minutes City’s positivity was rewarded when Deeney whipped in a back-post corner which an un-marked Nti nodded home from inside the six yard box.
And just two minutes later their lead was doubled after a Deeney cross again caused havoc in the home side’s back line, this time the midfielder’s effort eluding everyone and nestling in the bottom corner.
Telford barely had chance to draw breath before City bagged their third and Dominic Dell, making his first start for the club, fed in the ever-willing Williams who hammered the ball into the corner of Young’s net.
Having found goals hard to come by this season, the Blue and Whites should have added a fourth on the stroke of half time but Glover curled just wide after being unselfishly set up by Dell.
Worcester didn’t let up after the restart and it was the lively Dell who cut in from the left before unleashing an effort which flew just past Young’s right hand post.
Telford, who were booed off at half time, had to wait until the 80th minute to register their first shot on target, substitute Sean Clancy driving straight at Jose Veiga.
Sean Cooke did strike the outside of the post for the hosts with a late free-kick but the night belonged to Carl Heeley’s men, who have now gone five games unbeaten.
Heeley said: “We were fluent, we’ve took our chances and in all honesty it could have been more.
“It’s another clean sheet and we’re delighted with that, we take great pride in our defensive record.
“We’re incredibly tough to break down and all we needed to do was to try and convert a few of the chances and I’m delighted that we’ve actually done that this evening.
“It’s a great win for the club.”
City now turn their attention back to the Skrill Conference North when they welcome fellow struggler’s Oxford City to Aggborough on Sunday (December 8) 3pm kick off.
