ETHAN Moore ended Worcester City’s wait for a goal with a hat-trick to fire his team into the FA Trophy first round.

Moore struck four minutes before half-time at Aggborough and twice more in the second-half to settle the third qualifying round tie against Ramsbottom United.

It took the striker’s tally to seven for the season and was welcome relief for a City side who had failed to hit the target in their last four matches.

Worcester were still made to work hard for their victory, which was their first in more than a month, by a determined Greater Manchester outfit.

But it was Moore, included up front with Daniel Nti in place of Danny Glover and Aaron Williams, who made the difference with cool finishing.

His treble was the highlight of an otherwise often scrappy affair that also saw tempers flare as the match progressed.

Neither side had the quality to make an impact in the early stages and chances were severely limited.

City’s passing game often deserted them and when they did get into good positions in the Ramsbottom half, the final delivery was sorely lacking.

Gradually, however, things began to go the way of Carl Heeley’s side who had the better of the few opportunities.

Two of them fell to Nti, making his first start for four games, with the striker forcing Grant Shenton to tip his drive over from an acute angle before capitalising on Billy Priestley’s misjudgment to bring another block from the goalkeeper.

Centre-half Sam Smith also planted a header into the arms of Shenton from Ellis Deeney’s free-kick.

Worcester finally broke the deadlock four minutes before the break.

Niall Thompson stretched his legs in sprinting the length of the field and then fed a neat ball to Moore who slid it calmly past Shenton.

At the other end, Gary Stopforth fired wide from the edge of the box and Owen Roberts curled a free-kick wide from a central position.

Play was equally disjointed in the second-half with neither keeper troubled beyond City debutant Ryan Boot, on loan from Port Vale, gobbling up Dominic Smalley’s tame effort.

As both sides continued to struggle, frustration began to get the better of the players and tempers flared.

Smith and Jon Robinson clashed on more than one occasion with the latter eventually substituted.

But, amid a few unsavoury scenes, Moore made the game safe with a typical poacher’s effort.

Shenton was put under pressure by a defensive header and Moore robbed him of the ball before rolling it into an empty net.

Moore then put the icing on the cake by prodding the ball under Shenton 10 minutes from time following a ball forward from midfield.

Ramsbottom went in search of a consolation effort but the hosts repelled their advances to book their place in today’s Trophy draw.