MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION: Westfields 2 Worcester City 4.

LEE Hughes fired home a late double to settle a thriller in Worcester City’s favour at Westfields.

City trailed twice in the first half with the opener arriving after 28 seconds and returning keeper Matt Gwynne producing a monumental blunder.

Emphatic finishes from Dave Reynolds and Brad Birch restored parity on both occasions before Worcester largely dominated the second half.

It looked like the evening would end in frustration before Hughes broke through the plucky home side’s stubborn resistance.

Birch provided three assists to cap a fine performance from a reshuffled midfield shape that worked wonders following a rocky opening 20 minutes.

Ben Hayes scampered into space to cross for Jamie Molyneux to light the blue touch paper, sending a looping finish over Gwynne within the opening half a minute.

City, who played three in central positions ahead of sitting midfielder George Forsyth and two up top, lacked width and struggled to contain Westfields down the sides early on.

However, having settled and started to thread through balls from deep, Worcester’s power began to tell.

Birch dashed on to Mat Birley’s caressed pass and tangled with keeper Alex Harris on the edge of the box with Reynolds on hand to finish from 20 yards.

There was a decent ebb and flow to proceedings before Westfields moved back in front in courtesy of a goalkeeping howler on 29 minutes.

Richard Greaves stood up a 30-yard cross from the right touchline which Gwynne seemed to have read only to fumble into the net as he tried gather.

City levelled again when Forsyth’s delicious delivery from a free-kick was thumped in by Birch’s swirling header from 15 yards 11 minutes before half-time.

Nathan Hayward escaped with a yellow card having slid in high and late on Matt Reeve, who was instantly substituted and carried back to the dressing room by two team-mates just before the break.

City settled well after the interval, gradually grinding down Westfields with Birley, Reynolds and Hughes denied on a number of occasions.

Hope of a winner appeared to be drifting away but another eye-catching move sent a bumper travelling cohort into raptures.

Hayward picked out Birch to the right of the box with his hook perfectly placed for Hughes to steam in and finish with four minutes to go.

Birch then released Hughes down the left to run in behind and coolly finish across Harris to seal the spoils in added time.

Westfields: Harris, Kahaki, Plane, Febery, Sysum, Reeve (Cuss, 42), Jones, Mendes, Greaves, Molyneux, Hayes. Unused subs: Davies, Blackburn.

City: Gwynne, Weir, J Smith, Stoddart, Thomas, Hayward, Birley (Tomkinson, 72), Birch, Hughes, Reynolds (Baldwin, 81), Forsyth. Unused subs: Danks, M Smith.

Referee: Mr J Roskelly.

Attendance: 238.