Worcester City won for the fourth game running as they launched themselves to within touching distance of the Blue Square Bet North play-offs at St George’s Lane.

Two goals in the space of two scintillating second-half minutes from Mike Symons and Greg Mills saw City come from behind and climb to just two points outside the top-five with nine games left.

Despite trailing to Ryan Kendall’s 29th-minute opener, Carl Heeley’s team played with intensity and purpose from first whistle to last as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven games.

From the kick-off, City strained every sinew to ensure they got the victory to keep them in the promotion hunt.

But, in doing so, captain Kevin O’Connor picked up his 10th yellow card of the season and will face a two-game ban later this month.

Chance after chance came and went for the hosts in the first-half as they peppered the visitors’ penalty area but, try as they might, could not make the breakthrough.

Michael Taylor went close on two occasions, first having a shot blocked in the six-yard box before nodding a sumptuous Tom Thorley cross agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

And their failure to convert pressure into goals was exposed in the 29th minute as a hopeful ball forward found its way through to Kendall and he swept it past a helpless Matt Sargeant to give Gainsborough the lead.

Deflated, City began to let frustration get the better of them, largely due to several perceived injustices from pedantic referee Ollie Yates, eventually leading to yellow cards for O’Connor and Ellis Deeney, the latter for an altercation with Kendall.

But they were back in the ascendancy as half-time approached, with Tyler Weir forcing White into a low save, O’Connor grazing the top of the crossbar with a dipping drive and Thorley thrashing wide following Symons’ knock-down.

White was busy again after the interval, just managing to grasp Mills’ 53rd-minute free-kick and then producing a fine save to thwart Rob Elvins.

Taylor was then denied by the Trinity keeper and Phil Green, in for the injured Matt Birley, glanced a header inches wide from Mills’ cross.

But Trinity finally caved in on 69 minutes, Symons firing his 16th goal of the season on the turn from the edge of the area before Mills, 90 seconds later, curled a cracker into the top corner to put the hosts ahead.

That had the Lane rocking but City still had endure a frantic finale, including six minutes of stoppage-time, to record what could be a telling triumph.

Worcester City: Sargeant 8, Weir 8, Deeney 8, Thorley 9, Rowe 8, Elvins 9, Green 8 (Edwards 65, 7), O’Connor 9*, Symons 9, Taylor 8 (Carey-Bertram 88), Mills 9 (Ayres 89). Subs not used: Whitehead, Dormand.

Attendance: 693.