FROM a game that had just about everything it was appropriate that the winner in this bizarre match should come in injury-time from a player who had only been on the pitch barely two minutes.

Chorley had already been gifted a first-half equaliser with an own goal before super sub Lewis Guy was allowed to turn home a cross from in front of goal with the City defenders seemingly helpless to stop him.

Central pairing Alex Gudger and Rob Elvins were the culprits, the normally solid Clayton McDonald having been banished to the bench after suffering an off-day that included heading into his own net.

But they weren’t the only ones at fault on a day that saw Sean Geddes become the fourth Worcester player in five games to be sent off, prompting more shuffling of the pack from joint managers Carl Heeley and Matt Gardiner.

The Worcester faithful are not used to seeing their side ship goals at such a rate – six in their last two games – so maybe it was a relief to see Jacob Rowe warming up before the game having returned home after a few months travelling.

With McDonald’s impending suspension for his sending off against Solihull Moors in midweek, Rowe’s return could not have come at a better time.

Such stoppage-time drama had seemed unlikely when Dan Nti fired City into a 34th-minute lead.

The home side had shaded the opening period and Nti had forced Chorley keeper Sam Ashton into an earlier save with a firm drive after cutting in off the right wing.

So it came as no surprise when some excellent play from Tyler Weir and George Nash ended with the ball being threaded through the visiting defence where Nti was on hand to power his shot beyond Ashton.

At the other end, the defence was doing a good job in protecting keeper Nathan Vaughan and his only save of note came 10 minutes before the interval when Chorley wideman Josh Hne drilled an effort straight at him.

City should have been going in at the break with their noses in front and looking to build on Nti’s opener.

Instead, the half-time team talk needed a rewrite as both McDonald and Ellis Deeney jumped to head clear a corner and the giant defender succeeded in directing the ball into his own net.

Things went from bad to worse when Darren Stephenson neatly collected Hine’s cross before firing home Chorley’s second five minutes into the second-half.

From being in control, City were now hanging on with Vaughan and Elvins doing well to block efforts as last season’s losing play-off finalists looked to make the game secure.

But within minutes the game turned again when Nti was bundled over 20 yards out and his resultant free-kick was curled into the top left-hand corner.

Two bookings in 10 minutes then saw Geddes sent off but the Aggborough outfit looked to have seen out the danger for a deserved share of the spoils.

That was until some calamitous defending allowed super sub Guy to claim Chorley’s last-gasp winner.