WORCESTER City secured back-to-back promotions following a dramatic 2-1 victory against Corby Town in the Northern Premier League Midlands play-off final.
Goals from Zac Guinan and Felix Miles late in the second half put City on the brink of promotion before Reuben Marshall struck three minutes from time for Corby at Steel Park.
However, Worcester held on in the remaining minutes to clinch promotion to Step Three as Chris Cornes’ side achieved back-to-back promotions.
City took on a Corby side who finished two places and 12 points above Worcester in the table at the end of the league season.
And the game took place at Corby’s Steel Park ground with the hosts gaining home advantage in the play-off final by virtue of finishing higher in the table than City.
Some 2,766 supporters watched on.
Corby applied some early pressure as Worcester goalkeeper Haydn Whitcombe tipped Marshall’s deflected cross from the right behind for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, Jordan Lymn cleared a glancing near-post header off the line.
And Whitcombe then produced a stunning reaction save from a set-piece later in the half as he palmed Jack Keeble’s effort from close range over the bar following a scramble in the box.
Worcester threatened from a corner of their own at the other end as Gary Stohrer’s attempted headed clearance looped into the air before Corby goalkeeper Ross Durrant punched the ball to safety.
Another corner caused Corby problems after the break with Durrant unable to punch the ball out of the box as Adam Mace saw his goalbound half-volley headed behind by Spencer Edwards.
And City went close again from the resulting set-piece as Mace’s delivery from the right reached Hayden Reeves at the back post only for the defender to head wide.
Corby responded with a chance of their own as Logan Stoddart bravely threw his body in the way of Marshall’s volley to block the ball behind.
And Keeble saw his header from the resulting corner cleared off the line by Mace.
However, Worcester eventually broke the deadlock on 77 minutes when Mace delivered a corner from the right and Reeves saw his powerful header deflect into the net off Guinan.
And City doubled their lead six minutes later to stun the home side as the ball broke kindly into the path of Guinan who found Miles in space in the box.
The midfielder kept his composure to place a shot into the bottom right corner past the onrushing Durrant to all but seal promotion for the visitors.
However, Corby halved the deficit on 87 minutes when Edwards’ header from the right ran across the penalty area and Marshall finished from six-yards out.
Worcester dealt with a barrage of long balls into the box before the referee blew his whistle for full time to spark wild scenes of celebration between City players and supporters.
City will play at Step Three next season after winning the Hellenic League Premier title in 2023/24 and securing promotion from the Northern Premier League Midlands this campaign.
