WORCESTER City returned to winning ways and are once again looking up the Vanarama Conference North table.

Playing their first game for two weeks, the Blue and Whites consigned the 3-0 defeat at North Ferriby United to the memory banks with a welcome three points and clean sheet in north Wales.

Tristian Dunkley set City on their way with a composed finish after debutant Micah Evans’ right-wing creativity on 15 minutes and Sean Geddes wrapped things up with a 90th-minute penalty.

The result will look comfortable for Carl Heeley’s side as they bid to keep in touch with the play-off places.

But the outcome could have been different but for the heroics of keeper Ryan Boot, back for a third loan stint at the club.

The Port Vale custodian thwarted Mike Lea, Danny Taylor and sub Tom Buckley as Colwyn Bay cranked up the pressure after the break.

But it was his save to push away Jamie Ellison’s penalty five minutes from time that proved crucial.

While Aaron Brown can feel hard done by in being booked for what looked at best a 50-50 tussle with Ellison to concede the spot-kick, it presented Colwyn Bay with the chance to earn a point.

Instead, Boot was correct in going to his left to repel the penalty and protect City’s lead.

That knocked the stuffing out of the hosts and their miserable afternoon was complete with Taylor clumsily tripping Geddes in the box.

Unlike Ellison, the forward lashed his penalty straight down the middle to beat Chris Sanna, a keeper who enjoyed a brief stay at City in the Richard Dryden era.

For Worcester, who have now kept clean sheets on each of their last four visits to Llanelian Road, avoiding the banana skin of a side without a win in nearly three months is the perfect preparation for tougher challenges to come, namely Stockport County on Saturday and Solihull Moors three days later, both at Aggborough.

The success also ensured Boot kept intact his record of not tasting defeat in a Worcester shirt, a sequence covering six games stretching back to November 2013.

He was joined in the line-up by fellow loanees Evans and Johnny Lynch, both having arrived from Southport on Thursday.

Evans set up the first goal for Dunkley, while Lynch’s selection at left-back gave Worcester natural balance as Danny Jackman returned to the midfield.

The team was not unsettled by their presence and the absence of the suspended Wayne Thomas and Daniel Nti almost went unnoticed.

Having those two back in contention will certainly give Heeley food for thought.

It might not have been the best City have played this season but it was good enough for three points and that can only be good as they aim to climb the table.