YOU could imagine John Snape being twitchier than the groom while following City’s FA Vase progress from a wedding.

It was not exactly comfortable viewing for Worcester’s travelling support either as a lively, burly Boldmere outfit traded blows with the Midland League big guns.

PLAYERS RATINGS: BOLDMERE AWAY (FA VASE)

AS IT HAPPENED: BOLDMERE 3 CITY 4 AET 

Perhaps City still have giant targets on their backs at this level but maybe these displays are not one-offs. Perhaps City are just having a harder time of it than they should but at least they keep finding a way to win.

Even the players who did not perform as well as expected dug in and stood up to the worthy and uncompromising challenge put before them to seal a 4-3 extra-time victory and progress in the club's memorable first FA Vase outing.

Once they got past the usual sluggish 15 minutes, City were sprightly and clever going forward, picking passes into spaces.

Shaky moments at the back that Worcester have got away with at times this season finally came back to bite them but the way they shut out a potentially-nervy final 11 minutes of extra-time was comforting.

There was little to shout about early on before a set-piece pressed on what proved to be City’s Achilles heel.

Nicky Dodd’s on-target header from a corner skimmed off giant nuisance Curvin Ellis in the 13th minute with the deflection enough to divert past Matt Gwynne.

Josh Sarmento proved a menace going the other way, skipping past J’Cee Abraham to find Dave Reynolds and dash for the centre but much to the winger’s ire, Reynolds skewed off target.

Ryan Nesbitt inexplicably glanced wide with City scrambling to deal with an Abraham centre shortly after before the Mikes wing-back was again involved on 33 minutes, clearing Mark Smith’s goal-bound header off the line.

City deservedly levelled just before the break when Mark Danks released Reynolds down the left of the box to roll under the advancing Lewis Feeney and the visitors led for the first time seven minutes after the restart.

Jamie Smith lofted in for Reynolds to have two shots blocked and while Danks suffered a similar fate first time around, his wonderfully-weighted follow up dipped in from 15 yards.

Danks should have made it 3-1 seconds later but had his six-yard effort bravely charged down by Harry Craven after a cheeky back heel by Sarmento had opened up Boldmere.

The hosts swung the pendulum and Dodd had two far-post efforts scrambled away before scoring the inevitable equaliser two minutes from the end of normal time, converting Kieren Westwood’s cross.

Extra-time was only 34 seconds old when the hosts moved back in front from a quick, high free-kick turned in by Joe Smith after his first attempt had bobbled off both posts.

City were all over the place in the aftermath and Dodd crashed a fierce drive against the crossbar five minutes into the additional 30.

Having regained their composure, Worcester got back on level terms once more when Alexandru Albert’s high ball was flicked on by a Boldmere defender under pressure from Danks and Reynolds was on hand to lash low across Lewis Feeney.

Jack Skinner wasted two good openings to nudge Boldmere back in front only for player-boss Lee Hughes to step up 11 minutes from the end, thumping in a close-range header from Kyonn Evans’s centre to settle matters.