WORCESTER City lost 1-0 away at Shepshed Dynamo to suffer back-to-back defeats on the road in a blow to the club’s promotion hopes.
The game’s only goal came on 49 minutes as Jesse Friend struck to inflict a second successive away defeat on City at the Dovecote Stadium.
And the result means Worcester sit third in the Northern Premier League Midlands table, two points clear of the chasing pack in the race for a play-off place.
Shepshed forced Worcester goalkeeper Haydn Whitcombe into an acrobatic save early on as Jack Rogers tried his luck with a dipping shot from distance.
And Rogers went close again later in the half as Whitcombe tipped the forward’s powerful first time effort from inside the box behind for a corner at his near post.
A stunning save from Dynamo goalkeeper and captain Daniel Wallis then prevented Worcester from taking the lead at the other end.
A ball in from the right broke into the path of Kyle Belmonte who lashed a first time effort towards goal only for Wallis to spring sharply to his right to tip the shot over the crossbar.
City went close again soon after as Felix Miles curled a shot inches past the post from the left-hand side of the penalty area.
However, Shepshed broke the deadlock four minutes after the break when Louis Samuels cut the ball back in the box and Friend fired a first time shot into the bottom right corner past a rooted Whitcombe.
The home side looked to double their lead as Whitcombe comfortably saved Alex Troke’s free-kick from 25-yards out.
At the other end, Jordan Lymn connected sweetly with a volley from distance but could only shoot straight at Wallis.
And Taylor Townsend then lashed a shot over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area.
A marauding run from Lymn then set-up a chance for Miles who showed excellent footwork in the box but failed to trouble Wallis in the Shepshed goal.
The home side won a penalty one minute from time when Whitcombe tripped substitute Jude Collins in the box.
However, the Worcester stopper saved Kyle Dixon’s tame penalty, diving to his left, with City unable to find an equaliser in the remaining minutes.
Worcester are next in action against Coleshill Town on Saturday, February 22 with kick-off at 3pm at Pack Meadow.
