A DEBUT goal from Sean Geddes inspired Worcester City to a 2-1 victory over Lowestoft Town tonight (Tuesday) in a game which saw both teams finish proceedings with ten men.
The former Stourbridge man signed for Worcester earlier in the day and headed home a Connor Gater cross after their captain Ellis Deeney had received his marching orders for an adjudged two-footed lunge.
Robert Eagle was also shown a straight red five minutes after the break for a rash lunge on George Williams and from the resulting free-kick Daniel Nti doubled the lead.
Chris Henderson nodded home for the visitors in the 90th minute to set up a grand-stand finish but Worcester deservedly hung on to secure their second win of the Vanarama Conference North.
Geddes was inches away from the dream start to his Blue and Whites career after just two minutes when Nti outmuscled Adam Smith down the right, he pulled the ball back to the midfielder who miscued and fired wide of the near post.
Worcester were well on top in the opening seven minutes and Nti had a golden chance to break the deadlock when Danny Jackman’s in-swinging corner found him unmarked in the box but the striker cushioned his volley past the post.
After booking Wayne Thomas less than 60 seconds into proceedings, referee Daniel Meeson had the Aggborough faithful raging once more when he produced a straight red card for Deeney for an apparent two-footed lunge on Ross Jarvis after just ten minutes.
The ten men were showing no signs of their numerical disadvantage and Nti again caused problems in the visitors defence when he smashed a half-volley narrowly over the bar from just inside the box.
A debut goal for the lively Geddes did come after 36 minutes when Gater whipped in the perfect delivery and the former Manchester United trainee climbed highest to power a header past Ashlee Jones.
Worcester started the second-half as they ended the first and Mike Symons came close to doubling the lead but his powerful strike from the edge of the box took a nick off Sam Gaughran and flew over the top.
Five minutes into the second period and the numbers were evened up when Eagle went flying into a late challenge on Williams and Meeson had no hesitation in brandishing his second red card of the game.
And it went from bad to worse for the Trawler Boys as Jackman’s set-piece was headed down and into the far corner by Nti.
City’s top-scorer was then a foot away from adding a quick-fire third when Symons broke into the box from the left and squared his ball across the face of goal but Nti just couldn’t reach it on the slide.
Vaughan tipped over a 25-yard drive from Smith but it was wave after wave of Worcester attacks and neat interplay between Jackman and Nti presented Symons with a half-chance after 71 minutes but his shot on the turn was straight at Jones.
Henderson ensured it would be a nervy final few minutes when he met a Smith free-kick to head home but the hosts dug in to claim the win and climb up to 13th.
Manager Carl Heeley said: “After 15 minutes and you’re down to ten men it looks like it is going to be an uphill battle for us, but that’s when you need the character and togetherness in the squad.
“With the players we’ve got they’re all comfortable on the ball so we just kept two upfront, a tight three in midfield, but they kept the ball ever so well and I thought even with then men we had more possession and looked the better side.
“I think it would have been a travesty if we hadn’t of won the game because I thought we thoroughly deserved it this evening.”
Attendance: 376
To see how the game unfolded in our live blog, click here.