Worcester City 1 FC Halifax Town 2.

IF WORCESTER City fail to kick their bad habits, they will struggle to get out of the slump they find themselves in.

City slipped into the relegation zone after their winless streak in Vanarama National League North was extended to 13 matches on Saturday.

Unlike some of their recent outings, Worcester showed plenty of promise as they pushed play-off chasing FC Halifax Town close.

But once again it was their own silly mistakes which cost them dear as another defensive mix-up and a ninth red card of the season proved to be their undoing.

After a spirited first half performance which offered City’s supporters hope, the hosts shot themselves in the foot three minutes after the interval.

A breakdown in communication involving Jordan Keane, Tyler Weir and Ethan Ross allowed Matty Kosylo to give Halifax the lead.

Towering frontman Tom Denton added a second five minutes later before Worcester appeared to have got themselves back in it when Weir dispatched a 62nd minute penalty.

But City’s delight quickly turned to despair as the full-back then received a second yellow card for tangling with goalkeeper Sam Johnson as he tried to retrieve the ball.

They were perhaps not helped by a referee in Robert Massey-Ellis who could seemingly not stop pulling cards out of his pocket as eight players saw yellow.

But ill-discipline and errors at the back remain major concerns for City who are two points adrift from safety after relegation rivals Bradford Park Avenue claimed a 2-1 win at Nuneaton Town.

With Halifax arriving on the back of five wins from their last six matches, not many people would have expected managerless City to trouble the in-form visitors.

The home side also had to name three 16-year-olds in Tyreece Ruddock, Aaron Brett and Callum Devlin on the bench to make up the numbers after a string of injuries.

But with forward Jordan Murphy and attacking midfielder Ebby Nelson-Addy forming an unfamiliar strike partnership Worcester took the game to Halifax in the opening period.

The pair were real livewires in a 3-5-2 formation which featured returning duo Danny Jackman and Tom Sharpe as well as debutant Tom Rose.

With Snape encouraging his side from the dug-out, Worcester built pressure with a succession of corners and went close with an effort from Cieron Keane.

But the introduction of Denton who caused havoc in City’s 3-0 defeat at Halifax in August, at half-time turned the tide.

Shortly after his arrival, Worcester gifted Halifax the opener when Jordan Keane failed to clear and Kosylo nipped in to score past a bemused Ross.

The Shaymen then went 2-0 up when Denton’s looping header went in off the crossbar, but City refused to give in.

Keane was pulled back in the box and Weir slotted home the resultant penalty before seeing red seconds later.

Although there was only one goal in it, the dismissal gave Halifax a boost as they finished the match on the front foot.

Scott Garner went narrowly wide with a header before Kosylo and Jordan Sinnott tested Ross’ handling in the dying moments.

Worcester travel to bottom club Altrincham on Saturday (3pm) knowing only a win will do in their fight for survival.