A dramatic late winner from substitute Aaron Williams was enough to bag Worcester City a vital win in their fight to avoid relegation against fellow bottom six side Stalybridge Celtic.

A Paul Ennis free kick in the fourtieth minute cancelled out Daniel Nti’s eighteenth minute strike, before Williams came off the bench to head City into the lead with just ten minutes of normal time remaining.

City’s sixth win in nine games see’s them move up to fifteenth place in the Skrill North, and they are now currently eleven points clear from the drop zone, although several teams still have games in hand to play.

Ryan Boot re-joined the club on loan from Port Vale and started in place of the injured Jose Veiga, who looks set to miss six to eight weeks of action, and Wayne Thomas made a solid start to his City spell in central defence.

After a nervy opening five minutes Aaron Brown tested goalkeeper Danny East with a tame, curling shot from the edge of the area that nearly squirmed between the goalkeepers legs.

Stalybridge worked their first chance of the game after fifteen minutes with Paul Ennis’s driven near -post cross being prodded wide by Obi Anoruo.

But it was City who took the lead at the seventeen minute mark with Aaron Brown calmly controlling a Tyler Weir throw in inside the City half, sending a looping through ball to Daniel Nti who chested the ball before dinking the a shot past the advancing Danny East.

The visitors started to settle into the game at the half hour mark, with Paul Ennis’s curling free kick from the edge of the area being palmed over the bar by Boot.

But it was Ennis who pulled Celtic level with his second free kick five minutes before half time, with the midfielder curling the ball off the inside of the far post before it nestled in the back of Boot’s net.

In what was a second half of few chances, City came close as Tyler Weir’s free kick was flicked on by the head of Aaron Brown to Ethan Moore, whose swivelling, on-the-turn shot flashed agonisingly wide of the near post on the hour mark, before Steven Leslie dragged a first-time shot wide of the post five minutes later.

The visitors began to see more of the ball midway through the half and nearly took the lead themselves as Josh Green headed into the six yard box, with the unmarked Obi Anourou firing a header straight into the midriff of Boot.

But it was City who snatched the win with just ten minutes of normal time remaining as Steven Leslie’s clever faint allowed him to jink past Jack Ryan before sending an inviting back-post cross with his weaker foot to the unmarked substitute Aaron Williams, who stooped to steer his header home.

Manager Carl Heeley was pleased with the win, and the gap opening up between City and the rest of the teams at the foot of the table.

“We started really, really well, looked a lot stronger and caused them problems. We felt at half time that we’d got a lot more to give and our final ball into the box could have been better. We knew if we improved the ball into the box in the second half we’d go on and win the game. Steve Leslie’s whipped a great ball into Aaron Williams for the winning goal”, said Heeley.

“It was a jittery game with two sides with a lot to play for, it was a massive game today. We’ve won and that’s a huge, huge win for us today.”

“That breathing space is there. I’d rather be in our position than everybody’s below us.

City will now face a long trip north to face in form Barrow on Saturday (8th March), who are currently unbeaten in thirteen games.

Attendance 531

Report by Alex Harris