Worcester City 8-0 Quorn
Midlands Football League Premier Division
Rob George reports from the Victoria Ground
SEVEN different players netted as Worcester City demolished Quorn 8-0 in a pleasing performance which took them to within two points of the Premier Division summit.
A brace from Mark Danks and efforts from Josh Sarmento, Dave Reynolds, James Baldwin, Brad Birch, Kyonn Evans and the returning Lee Hughes ensured the Faithful were treated to another home performance to remember.
Quorn lacked substance and once City were in front, the Blue and Whites found it easy to put the meat on the bones of another victory.
Joint bosses Lee Hughes and John Snape made two changes after Tuesday night’3-3 thriller with Coleshill Town as Hamilton Chiwara came in for the suspended Tyler Weir.
Josh Sarmento replaced Mark Smith as the defender sat out the game with a small knock and City reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with Brad Birch taking the captain’s armband in Weir’s absence.
The Blue and Whites were quick out of the traps on Tuesday night with a goal after 21 seconds and almost scored direct from the kick off as Birch’s run and pull back found Jamie Smith who shot over.
A quiet opening to the game saw Danks warm the hands of Quorn keeper Ryan Thacker before Matt Gwynne in the City goal blocked a shot from Nathan Dale.
The home side began to grow in confidence particularly down Quorn’s left flank and Jamie Smith’s cross saw Reynolds fail to connect on 22 minutes before Smith’s shot one minute later was cleared only as fair as Danks who shot over.
City’s pressure finally told as Danks found himself on the left hand side of the penalty area and sent a cross over which deceived Thacker and looped into the net to make it 1-0 after 25 minutes.
The mood settled the home side down and the second goal arrived just five minutes later after another Smith cross from the left was fired across goal and found Sarmento who stumbled but composed himself to fire in off the post.
Smith and Danks featured for the third goal as the left winger’s shot was parried by Thacker straight at Danks who made no mistake from close range to make it 3-0.
City could have forgiven for easing off with the game under their total command but Danks’s foraging bore fruit again five minutes before the break when his cross found Reynolds whose firm header made it 4-0 at the break.
The second half began in the same manner as the first with Quorn offering glimpses of a threat with a chance for Russell Evans before Matt Dawson’s charging run saw him shoot wide.
But the final quarter of the game saw City step on the gas and subs Kyonn Evans and James Baldwin linked up on 65 minutes before Baldwin checked inside and fired past Thacker.
Further chances came and went before Hughes was welcomed back from injury from the bench with 15 minutes to play.
Typically the former West Bromwich Albion striker made his mark just six minutes later when he controlled a long ball forward and lobbed the ball past a stranded Thacker.
Quorn had the stuffing knocked out of them and their defence buckled again when a short corner made its way to Birch who kept his head and fired home for a magnificent seventh.
In the final minute, Baldwin sped down the right and pulled the ball back to just inside the 18 yard line when Evans powerfully fired home to complete the butchering of Quorn.
City will face meatier challenges this season but an 8-0 win is a huge show of intent in what looks to be a closely contested league.