WORCESTER City progressed in yet another cup competition as they outclassed local rivals Pershore Town in the second-round of the Marsh Challenge Cup.

Three goals in the opening 25 minutes gave City total control of the contest as Adam Mace scored directly from a corner for the second game running to give them the perfect start inside six minutes, but only after an incredible open-goal miss from Pershore's former City forward Sean Brain with barely 60 seconds on the clock.

Kyle Belmonte made it two with a close-range finish and when Jamie Insall slid home a third from Liam Lockett's shot, the cup tie looked dead and buried as City threatened to run riot.

Lockett was denied on the line by his own man Insall as the visitors looked to make it worse for Pershore, but the hosts did pull one back just after the half-hour mark when Sam Clark - who leaves to go traveling this week - headed home from Jake Donnelly's long throw into the box.

But it was still a dominant showing from Chris Cornes' men, who were probably worthy of a more convincing half-time score. The only real negative was the injury to midfielder Calvin Dinsley, who came off with what looked to be a serious hamstring issue.

The Plums returned from the interval in a positive mood but it did not last long as City re-established their three-goal cushion from the penalty spot.

Elliot Hartley, who had given Pershore's left-back Donnelly a torrid time throughout the first 45 minutes, went down in the box after a pull from the same defender and the referee pointed to the spot.

Soft or not, Lockett sent Eddie Cox - playing his 100th and final game for Pershore - the wrong way and, with that, the cup tie was all but over.

It got worse for Pershore moments later as a frustrated kick-out from Steve Webb on City's Cam Monteith saw him shown a straight red card, leaving Pershore to play out the remaining 25 minutes a man down.

City didn't really kick on and a number of substitutions meant the game lost its rhythm.

Pershore's Jamie Clarke did pull one back with a fine finish into the bottom corner to give the hosts a glimmer of hope in the final ten minutes but Lockett scored a late fifth to wrap up what was, overall, a comfortable victory.

Chris Cornes' men progress to the third round of the competition, meaning they remain on course for a non-league quadruple, whilst Lewis Marston's Pershore side will have to lick their wounds and stay on track with their play-off push in the Hellenic Premier.