2024/25
Worcester City v Walsall Wood
FA Cup - Saturday 3rd August 2024
A blisteringly hot day at Claines Lane greeted a crowd of 650 for this first match of the new season. Walsall Wood are in the saWalsall Wood on Tuesday. A promising start for Worcester at this higher level who are unbeaten at home since Leek Town won in September 2023 - 25 games without defeat. The replay was a farce as Walsall Wood's floodlights failed causing it to be abandoned. The replay saw Worcester score the only goalme league as Worcester this season at level 4 of the pyramid after promotion last year.
The first half belonged firmly to Worcester who created three good chances but failed to beat the visiting keeper. The second half was more even with chances few and far between. So the game ended 0-0 and is replayed at
Worcester City v Anstey Nomads
Saturday 10th August 2024
Worcester's first ever game in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division at step four of the pyramid was as tough as could be. Anstey had finished second in 2023/24 and narrowly missed promotion.
The visitors started very brightly playing towards the Dressing Room end and it came as no surprise when Leo Brown headed them into the lead in the 8th minute. Worcester soon started to up their game and equalised on 28 minutes with a super strike in the 28th minute. It was all City and within five minutes Charlie Wise had headed in an Adam Mace corner. Two soon became three with an amazing 25-yard strike from Will Owens. Three goals in 12 minutes effectively saw off the visitors challenge and Charlie Wise's 73rd minute strike added insurance. A super start to the new league season.
Worcester City v Dudley Town
FA Cup - Saturday 17th August 2024
Not a lot went right for Worcester in this game after they missed a host of first half chances but still led with a Zac Guinan goal. Dudley hit Worcester on the breakaway with two goals to send the hosts out of the cup.
Worcester City v Lye Town
Monday 26th August 2024
Wins at home to Racing Club Warwick and away Loughborough having propelled City up to second in the table it was the turn of Lye to visit Claines Lane. The last five meetings between these two teams had seen Lye win the lot but the visitors are in the process of rebuilding their team and it showed. They possessed almost no forward power and also were bereft of a midfield. Goals from Elliott Keightley in the first half and Izak Reid saw Worcester to a comfortable 2-0 win before 650 fans.
Worcester City v Quorn
Saturday 14th September 2024
Worcester's good start to the season has evaporated along a flurry of red cards. This 4-1 defeat to Quorn was the third defeat in four games with losses at Corby and Hinckley as well.
This game took a decisive turn towards Quorn as early as the 5th minute when the referee decided to award a penalty to the visitors and also sent off Charlie Wise. City fought back and Hayden Reeves drew City level. A spectacular overhead goal restored the visitors lead and two very late breakaway goals rather flattered the visitors.
Worcester City v Hinckley
Saturday 28th September 2024
After a string of poor results not least a bad defensive display at Grantham the week before so this game took on something of a must win appearance. City did rise to the occasion even if it was at times a nail biting display. City took an early lead and were two up at half time. Hinckley soon pulled a goal back but Hartley restored the two goal lead only for Hinckley to score again. City held on to record a welcome three points.
Worcester City v Shepshed Dynamo
Saturday 19th October 2024
Since the last report Will Owens has left the club and Felix Miles joined. It was a first goal from the newcomer that gave City a welcome away win at Long Eaton the previous week, and another against Shepshed set Worcester on the way to an easy victory.
City took advantage of obvious turmoil in the visitors camp after the manager had left and four players were signed during the week including the veteran former City player, Exodus Geohagan.
Although the sun shone brightly the pitch was very heavy and the ball played tricks such that City could not achieve a breakthrough during the first half. It took barely two minutes of the second half for Miles to score with a neat free kick. Liam Lockett add two more later on in this very one-sided contest. Star player for the visitors was the goalkeeper who save numerous shots from a rampant City side playing their best football of the season.
Rugby Town v Worcester City
Saturday 26th October 2024
The supporters of both teams could not believe what they had just seen.
Home supporters had good reason to think it was going to be their day after they had shaded the first half and deservedly led by a single goal.
Within barely ten minutes of the game that lead had evaporated as a resurgent City team smashed home no less than five goals, adding a sixth before the end. City fans were reaching for the record books to find out the last time so many goals had been scored by City in such a short period. An astonishing day that makes up for the disappointment of losing to an injury time winner at Sporting Khalsa during the week.
(Report from our roving correspondent)
Worcester City v Coleshill Town
Saturday 2nd November 2024
There is an excited expectation at The New Lane that the impressive home run of only three league defeats in over 18 months would continue but things are rarely so simple. Coleshill Town put in an outstanding performance as they came to Worcester full of anticipation that they would win. In the end they came up just short. City just shaded the first half and they were rewarded by a goal from Charlie Wise. But it was never more than an uneasy lead and it came as no surprise when the visitors equalised with 15 minutes to go. City's teams of old might have folded at this point but Chris Cornes has fashioned a side never prepared to settle for just a point and they continued to attack at every opportunity. They were finally rewarded with a goal by Kyle Belmonte deep into added time. The City defence had a fine game with Adam Mace always in the right place at the right time and Whitcombe stopped a flurry of shots. 606 people watched a stunning performance as the club celebrated the tenth anniversary of a famous win at Coventry City.
Worcester City v Boldmere St Michael
Saturday 16th November 2024
This was a quite extraordinary game which left most of the crowd of 753 scratching their heads wondering what they had just witnessed was a dream.
In foul weather on a very difficult pitch it was always likely going to be day for defence. City played uphill towards the dressing room end in the first half and were slightly the better of the teams creating two good chances. The first was a Lockett rocket which was superbly saved by the visiting keeper but he could do nothing about Cameron's Monteith's thunderbolt volley a few minutes later that gave City a slender lead at the interval.
The second half was dominated by the visitors who set up camp in the City half. Somehow City were a match for everything thrown at them despite being penned back into their own for the whole of the half. City posed so little of an attacking threat that the visiting goalkeeper had plenty of time to chat to the fans behind the goal during the countless number of stoppages as numerous players went down with cramp.
Somehow the goal by Monteith was enough to ensure City's sixth league win a row.
Worcester City v Rushden & Diamonds
Saturday 30th November 2024
After a disappointing defeat in the rain at Bedworth, City bounced back to form with an impressive 3-0 win at home to seventh placed Rushden & Diamonds. It was a good as the score suggests as City always had the edge over their visitors.
Worcester dominated the game from the first whistle and were rewarded with a debut goal by Prince Henry who steered the ball home after great work by Eliott Hartley. Rushden briefly flattered to deceive but City struck again on half time when Felix Miles scored from the spot after a clear foul by the visiting keeper. This second goal seemed to take all the fight out of the visitors who rapidly tired on a heavy pitch. It was no surprise when Liam Lockett added a third for City midway through the second half.
Worcester City v Grantham Town
Saturday 14th December 2024
Buoyed by the news that this would be City's last season at Claines Lane following the announcement that the club was moving to Six Ways Stadium, the players turned in a five star and five goal extravaganza.
The result was never in doubt after Felix Miles scored with City's first attack. From then on it was a question of how many goals could City score as they destroyed the visiting defence. Man of match was Kyle Belmonte with a superb hat-trick. Zac Guinan scored City's other goals.
All credit to the visitors for giving it a good go in the second half and to their travelling fans who watched this heavy defeat.
It was City's day and moved them into second place in the league.
Worcester City v Long Eaton Town
Saturday 25th January 2025
After a frustrating month with only an away win at Hinckley, City finally returned to Claines Lane for an attractive home game against a team vying for a play-off spot.
The pitch was barely playable and continues to present a poor image to fans visiting the home of the Worcestershire FA. Both sides tried hard to play football but the inadequate playing surface prevented it.
For 75 minutes defences dominated as both sets of forwards struggled to keep their feet. The introduction of Dylan Hart into the game was a decisive move as he broke through a tiring visitors defence. Although his shot was parried away the ball was quickly recycled to Adam Mace who unleashed a rocket of a shot that easily beat the visiting keeper.
Both sides had chances late on but City held firm to record a third successive victory.
Worcester Raiders v Worcester City
Tuesday 11th February 2025
Both of these team came into this County Cup game full of confidence after strong wins at the weekend, most notably a 6-1 win by City again a strong Sporting Khalsa outfit.
It was good to see that both sides fielded their strongest teams and with a lot of local support it was pleasing to see the Senior Cup being taken seriously and not dominated by reserve and squad players.
Raiders have never beaten City losing both league games last season (home and away at SixWays) without scoring a goal. They gave a strong showing without having much luck in front of the City goal. Worcester took the lead after 8 minutes when Adam Mace's tempting corner was bundled home by Hartley at the far post. Things remained close until Zac Guinan scored just before half time. City kept a tight rein on the Rangers strikers throughout the second half and created several good chances to improve the scoreline.
So City progress through to the final, if not in style at least with conviction.
Worcester City v Rugby Town
Saturday 1st March 2025
Spring is officially here but sadly the state of the so-called football ground at Claines Lane tells otherwise. The appalling surface makes it next to impossible to play football on it. Particularly bad is the City end which is no better than a bog. This makes it very hard for any team to score when attacking that end.
Worcester always try to attack downhill first and use the simple strategy of conserving as much energy as possible whilst making the visitors work flat out on the tricky service.
This strategy rarely fails and this game was no exception. Rugby had one good chance in the first half but a timely block by Adam Mace saved the day. The second half way so one-sided it had to be seen to be believed. As the visitors energy levels dropped City had the game for the taking scoring three times in the last 20 minutes with a brace from Zac Guinan and a debut goal from Shay Palmer. The latter taking full advantage of a farcical slip by the visiting keeper which left the goal undefended. City stay fourth and a welcome return to form.
Worcester City v Coventry Sphinx
Saturday 15th March 2025
It was an amazing day of football as all of the top eight teams recorded wins so no change to any positions with Worcester remaining in fourth place after an easy win against a poor team.
Felix Miles scored from the spot in a one-sided away that saw not a single shot on or off target from Coventry.
The second half was also one way traffic but the only goal was a wonder strike from Liam Lockett.
So the play-off places remain to be claimed with seven teams chasing the four places.
Worcester City v Darlaston
Tuesday 26th March 2025
Worcester's winning run came to an end on a balmy evening at Claines Lane - the last floodlight game of City's stay. Darlaston were faster, quicker, stronger and harder than Worcester. A goal in each half were worthy rewards for the superiority of the visitors.
Worcester City v Bedworth
Saturday 29th March 2025
Worcester attacked for the whole game but missed out on a win as they were unable to get more than Liam Lockett's sixth minute goals. Shots came flying at the Bedworth keeper from the first minute to the last. When he was not able to stop the ball twice the woodwork came to his rescue or a defender was there to clear off the line. Bedworth had one attack from which they equalised with a bullet header. Two points lost is true but one point nearer the play-offs as their only rivals Khalsa and Darlaston both lost
Worcester City v Corby Town
Saturday 19th April 2025
Words alone cannot describe this extraordinary game, quite possibly the most astonishing result ever possibly exceeding Worcester's defeat of Kettering in 1979.
Corby sitting second in the table were firm favourites to win at Claines Lane but for an unknown reason choose to leave many of their best players on the bench. City took some advantage of this and swept into a 7th minute with a scrambled effort from close range. Worcester were well on top and Corby could muster very little by way of attacking moves. All that changed in the second half as Corby, playing towards the Claines Lane end hit City with a quick fire equaliser, followed by a goal from a super free kick and then a penalty. City seemed down and out but they grabbed an unlikely goal when they too were awarded a penalty, hotly disputed by Corby. Suddenly it was game on again and Corby's discipline went to pieces in a flurry of free kicks and bookings. It got worse for Corby as the goalkeeper appeared to spill the ball and Guinan scored bringing even more ire down upon the referee who stood his ground and awarded the goal. Astonishingly City were not finished as Kyle Belmonte broke through the Corby defence to hit a long-range injury time winner. City move up to 4th after a defeat for Long Eaton at Khalsa who remain the only team that can deny City a play-off stop.
Worcester City v Loughborough Students
Saturday 26th April 2025
With a play-off place assured during the week without kicking a ball a bumper crowd was at Claines Lane for the final game of the season. The game turned into something of an exhibition game with City's Prince Henry heading City into an early lead. The points were wrapped up with a penalty goal scored by Felix Miles after a hand ball offence. The scorer was Felix Miles. City finished 5th and so the dream of back to back promotions was possible albeit that the lay-off semi final would be away at Anstey Nomads.
Semi-Final Play off game
Anstey Nomads v Worcester City
Tuesday 29th April 2025
It was 3rd v 4th as City travelled to Anstey Nomads in search of the win that would take them to the final away at either Corby Town (2nd) or home to Long Eaton United (5th). At least half the crowd were fans who had made the journey from Worcester. They were rewarded for their journey when City took the lead inside the first minute of play with a lovely header by Elliott Hartley from an Adam Mace corner. City were firmly in charge after this and Zac Guinan added to the lead shortly before half time. Anstey's second half efforts were in vain and City ran out comfortable winners on the road. There was to be no final Claines Lane as Corby beat Long Eaton by one goal to nil.
Final Play off game
Saturday 3rd May 2025
Corby Town v Worcester City
A long hard season which had started with a brilliant win at home to Anstey Nomads reached its climax on a barmy day for weather at Corby. There was no doubting Corby full deserved to have finished second in the table but there could be no cause for complacency as City has won 4-3 at Claines Lane only two weeks previously.
The first half produced no goals and was a tense nervous affair with neither side able to make the all important break through. If anything Corby were marginally the better team.
Things progressed in a similar vein in the second half and with some fans already thinking about extra time the game turned in City's favoir in the 77th minute with a goal from Hayden Reeves. Things got even better soon after as Felix Miles doubled City's lead.
It was all action stuff and became nailbiting as Cortby scored soon after but City held on to record back to back promotions before a crowd of 2,766.
So Worcester City secure back to back promotions and advance Step 3.
UP THE CITY. KEEP THE FAITH