Barton's boys go top of the table

Second-half goals from Leon Kelly, Mark Owen and Adam Webster sealed a high-energy display which manager John Barton hailed as one of the best of his tenure.

The evening got even better for Worcester with the news of weekend leaders Hinckley United's 2-0 defeat at Nuneaton Borough which leapfrogged the St George's Lane club from second to first place in the Dr Martens Premier Division.

First-half displays in the back-to-back victories at Merthyr Tydfil and Welling had hinted that City were close to finding their best form and the floodgates duly opened seven minutes into the second-half with three goals inside nine minutes.

Key to the success was the searing pace of strikers Kelly and Owen, with Owen bagging his first league goal since the 4-1 win against Hastings last November, and Barton admitted the pace had been awesome.

"The pace in the side is almost frightening," said Barton.

"Make no bones about it Moor Green have got some good players, so the result coupled with the performance was very pleasing.

"It's probably dangerous to say it but that's as good a 90 minutes we've had since I've been back at the club," added Barton. "We had good performances throughout the team tonight.

"Paul Carty came back in at left-back, and I think he's as good as you will see in the league, John Snape led from the front but you can make a case for everybody tonight.

"There was enough promise in the first-half without any reward and there is always a little concern at 0-0 that the opposition is still in the game. But at the start of the second-half we picked up where we left off in the first."

Worcester visit much-fancied Crawley Town on Saturday, and the Sussex club, buoyed by a £200,000 sponsorship deal, are set to be City's hardest test yet as Barton concedes.

"We've had most sides watched in this league and the reports on Crawley have been the best so it is going to be a real test," he added.