WORCESTER City came from behind to earn a replay against their Northern Premier League Division One South visitors at the end of a game that saw both sides have a player sent off.

But they may go into Tuesday’s match without first-choice strikers Lee Hughes and Dave Reynolds.

The assistant boss was already ruled out and Reynolds picked up a head injury in a first-half collision with Chasetown keeper Darren Pond.

There was drama right from the start with the visitors going close to opening the scoring inside 14 seconds.

A high ball into the City area wasn’t dealt with and it landed at the feet of Chris Baker on the edge of the six-yard box but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.

There was a lengthy delay 10 minutes in when Reynolds looked to chase down a ball over the top but clattered into the keeper leaving the pair of them flat on the floor.

Five minutes later both left the field with cuts to their heads.

Aaron Brett replaced the City striker while the visitors sent on young keeper Josh Allen.

There was little to choose between the sides and City midfielder Matt Birley was inches away from opening the scoring on 20 minutes when he crashed a volley against the outside of the Chasetown post.

A minute later the visitors were ahead.

There looked to be nothing on when the ball fell for Will Whielden 25 yards from goal but he cracked a stunning 25-yard effort into the top right-hand corner.

Whielden went close again on the half-hour with a free-kick that stung the palms of home keeper Matt Gwynne while the best City could muster were a couple of long-range efforts from Mark Danks.

But with the game deep in injury-time the Blue and Whites levelled.

Danks thundered an effort against the crossbar and the loose ball was recycled for teenage substitute Brett who calmly placed his shot into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Referee Robbie Dadley had kept his cards in his pocket during the first half but made up for it after the break.  On 57 minutes City’s Brad Birch saw red for a late challenge on Chad Degville-Smith with the visitors’ James O’Neil picking up a booking soon after.

Ten-man City then did their best to contain Chasetown who looked the more likely to add to the scoreline.

Grant Ryan put a shot wide when left unmarked in front of goal before George Cater powered an effort straight at the keeper.

And then more controversy followed as visiting keeper Allen handled outside of his area to keep out what looked like a goalbound Brett shot but he escaped with just a yellow card — one of eight shown in the second period.

Chasetown were reduced to 10 men eight minutes from the end when O’Neil picked up a second yellow but there was still time for both sides to go close in the dying stages.

For City substitute James Baldwin put an effort just the wrong side of the target and then deep in injury-time keeper Gwynne did well to dive full-length to keep out a Luke Davies effort for the visitors.

City: Gwynne, Weir, Griffiths (Baldwin 81), Fishwick, M Smith, Birch, Hayward, Birley, Danks (Albert 62), Reynolds (Brett 12), J Smith. Subs not used: Dayus, Ruddock, Harris-James, Devlin.

Attendance: 572.