PERHAPS Worcester City can land the title without shining.

As the weeks roll on we find ourselves wondering just how City did enough to bag three points from another match they survived by the skin of their teeth.

At Boldmere seven days previously, a case could have been made for any result.

This time there was no doubt Shepshed were deserving of something and it would take a staunch, even blinkered City fan to argue otherwise.

But even while watching through cracks in barely-parted fingers hope sprang eternal at the attacking end so should we really be surprised that the bandwagon rolled on?

Within 30 seconds, Shepshed signalled their intent by having two shots charged down and Liam Hurst’s lob dropped just wide with keeper Matt Gwynne in no-man’s land following a mix-up between Alexandru Albert and Aaron Griffiths.

Dynamo fought and frequently won an aerial battle but Dave Reynolds made the ball stick for Worcester and rolled into the busy Josh Sarmento whose shot was easily collected by Denham Hinds on 19 minutes.

With City often overloaded, Gwynne produced an impressive double save in spite of Liam Read getting everything behind the second effort.

But worry turned to joy when Lee Hughes produced a clever turn on the halfway line to create space on the left and while his cross-shot was tame Reynolds was alert and seized upon an unforgivable spill from Hinds to nudge home against the run of play.

Shepshed went to pieces for five minutes as Jamie Smith went desperately close to connecting with a low Reynolds centre, Hughes had a hooked shot blocked by the face of Adam Hohn and Albert and Hughes got in a muddle when well placed to scramble home a second.

Yet there was still time for City to receive another warning as Shay Brennan and Hurst combined for Niall Prenderville to attempt a deft effort with the outside of his boot that beat Gwynne but bounced back off the post a minute before the break.

City were bypassed too often again after the restart but having survived some scares made it two on 58 minutes.

Sarmento was released down the right and Hughes made the most of his misdirected ball, darting across his marker to lift beyond Hinds.

But as soon as Worcester had gained margin for error they let it slip with Prenderville converting substitute Alex Troke’s ball from close range.

Shepshed attacked a panicked City at will with Troke denied and Michael Reeve thumping wide from Hohn’s delivery soon after.

In the end, the hosts simply could not clear their lines with 17 minutes to play and the goal was a beauty as Read’s inswinger was glanced inside the far post by Troke.

The groans and pressure became intensified but to their credit City did not cave in.

Mark Danks provided a much-needed outlet and put on a plate a golden chance for Reynolds that Hurst somehow managed to divert around the far post.

A goal of City’s making seemed inevitable, it was just a matter of which end it arrived at.

Thankfully, it came with three minutes to go as Alex Tomkinson’s work on the left found fellow substitute James Baldwin at the far post and his effort ricocheted back to Tomkinson in a more favourable position.

The ex-Barwell man needed no second invitation to pull the trigger and the match was decided.

Unconventional, untidy, but another three points on the board. Who said the Midland League would be dull?

CITY: Gwynne, Forsyth, Griffiths, Albert, M Smith, Hayward, Sarmento (Tomkinson, 63), Birley, Hughes (Danks, 66), Reynolds, J Smith (Baldwin, 85). Unused subs: Fishwick, Palmer (g/k).

SHEPSHED: Hinds, Hohn, Read, Preston, Betts, Prenderville, Harris (Hill, 79), Hurst, Brennan (Troke, 58), Reeve, Whymark. Unused subs: Peet, Laywood.

REFEREE: Paul Tyler.

ATTENDANCE: 378.