A double each from Taylor Townsend and Kyle Belmonte helped Worcester City to a fantastic 6-1 victory over Sporting Khalsa in an important clash near the top of the Northern Premier League Midlands Division.

City got off to a brilliant start, perhaps with a bit of help from the awful conditions the game was played in. Jordan Lymn played the ball to Elliott Hartley in the 1st minute. Harley drove to the right side of the Khalsa box before putting a low ball in which caused bedlam in the area, allowing Taylor Townsend to arrive at the back post and power home to open the scoring for Worcester.

City pressed brilliantly in the first half, and this pressure paid off again in the 13th minute. A Worcester corner routine from the left side seemed at first like it had come to nothing, but the ball fell to Belmonte outside the box, who fired in a long-range piledriver that left the keeper with no chance.

Having been 2-0 up in the reverse fixture before suffering defeat, Worcester very nearly let Khalsa back into the game. In the 17th minute, a ball into the box from Sporting’s Andre Landell was narrowly missed by an onrushing Khalsa player. The following corner also forced a great save from Worcester Keeper Haydn Whitcombe who had to get down quickly to keep a header out.

A period of Sporting Khalsa pressure turned quickly into a third Worcester City goal in the 40th minute, with Hayden Reeves playing a ball to Taylor Townsend on the counter, Townsend drove to the left side of the Khalsa box, with his ball in being met first time in the centre by Zac Guinan. The Khalsa keeper got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

Haydn Whitcombe had to make two great saves in two minutes to see Worcester to the end of the first half with their 3-0 lead intact. First making an excellent save one on one from a Khalsa forward in the 41st minute, before making a save at point-blank range from Khalsa’s Kieron Whittaker a minute later.

City made it 4-0 quickly after the restart, an excellent free-kick into the box from Adam Mace in the 48th minute being met by Hayden Reeves to put the Blue and Whites in an even more commanding position.

Given that Sporting Khalsa had to push forward to try and get back into the game, City spent much of the Second half playing on the counter. This paid dividends in the 57th minute as Taylor Townsend beat the offside trap and carried the ball forward before slotting past the keeper for his second to make it 5-0. Sporting’s players made their opinion on the linesman’s call very clear but it was too late.

City would continue to keep Khalsa at arm’s length defensively before completing their scoring in the 69th minute. Taylor Townsend played a great cross-field ball to Elliott Hartley, who cut in on the flank and laid a ball off to the edge of the box for the onrushing Kyle Belmonte to fire home for his second of the game.

Khalsa had few real efforts on goal in the second half, but one attack did deny Haydn Whitcombe and the defence the clean sheet their performances probably deserved, with Khalsa substitute Izai Marselia tapping in from a cross into the box in the 82nd minute.

City would see out the rest of the game to claim a huge win that takes them back into 3rd place in the division and puts the team a point ahead of Khalsa with two games in hand.

The next game in the calendar will see a short trip to Sixways as The Blue And Whites take on Worcester Raiders FC in the Worcestershire Senior Cup Semi Final on Tuesday evening.

Match report by Sam Thomas.