Worcester City recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season after an impressive 2-1 victory against Colwyn Bay at Aggborough on Saturday (January 18).
Daniel Nti and Aaron Williams gave the hosts all three points against their in-form visitors, who came into the game having won six of their last seven.
James Ellison scored a consolation from the spot late on, but it didn’t affect the scoreline as Carl Heeley’s men picked up a vital three points in their bid to avoid relegation from the Skrill Conference North.
The hosts made a purposeful start to proceedings with George Williams’ stinging half-volley being tipped round the post by Chris Sanna, before he struck over again inside two minutes.
Williams was at the heart of things again after four minutes when Jose Veiga’s poor clearance allowed captain Rob Hopley to flick over the Portuguese stopper, but Worcester’s full-back was there to hack the ball off the line.
The visitors appealed for a penalty after 20 minutes when Gareth Evans went down under a challenge from Richard Munday, but referee Rob Ellis waved away the claims much to manager Frank Sinclaire’s displeasure.
Nti, fresh from his brace at Histon last weekend, made a chance for himself after 34 minutes when he cut in from the left and struck his effort just wide of Sanna’s near post.
Heeley’s men were inches away from breaking the deadlock three minutes later when Ellis Deeney floated a ball in to the influential Aaron Brown, whose looping header was brilliantly saved by Sanna before Aaron Williams’ follow up was cleared off the line by Tom Smyth. The following corner was diverted inches wide by Richard Munday.
The referee was at the centre of more controversy at the end of the first half when Veiga seemed to be fouled on the edge of his box but the man in the middle awarded Colwyn Bay a free-kick and a yellow card to the City stopper, who pulled off a great save to deny Jonathan Royle’s resulting effort.
Sanna kept the score level just a minute after the restart when Aaron Williams fed in Kristian Ramsey-Dickson but the keeper came out quick to deny the striker a goal on his home debut.
The Blue and Whites got the breakthrough their pressure deserved when Brown’s powerful free-kick was spilled by Sanna and Nti eventually bundled home to give the hosts the lead.
Heeley’s men thought they had doubled their lead just five minutes later when Brown crossed for Aaron Williams to head into an empty net, but the linesman on the far side had his flag up after he adjudged the ball to have crept over the byline.
Williams did finally get his goal and wrapped up the three points with less than ten minutes remaining. Substitute Ethan Moore did all the hard work, cutting in from the right hand side before unselfishly setting up the forward to slam the ball home and send the home crowd into raptures.
The Seagulls halved the deficit with just a minute of added time left when Ellison converted a penalty after Graham Hutchison was adjudged to have handled in the box, but it was to be Worcester’s day.
Heeley said: “In the first half I felt if we could keep a clean sheet playing against a really strong wind in our faces I thought with our physical presence we would cause them problems when we got the benefit of the wind.
“That’s how it mapped out and we’re chuffed to bits to wing another game, you feel a lot better in yourselves.
“It’s about building a bit of momentum and it’s about the belief, that’s the first time we’ve gone back to back wins in the league and psychologically it will give us a big lift.”
Jonny Bonell reporting from Aggborough
Picture by Rob Bazley
Attendance: 571