WORCESTER City came crashing down to earth with a bump as they lost their unbeaten record under Richard Dryden.

City trailed 1-0 at the break, conceded twice shortly after the interval and might have shipped six before the end of a largely one-sided contest in front of a mammoth 1,636 spectators at a blustery St George's Lane.

Telford were superior in most departments and demonstrated why they are in the play-off places Worcester aspire to.

Adam Webster had City's best chance when goalkeeper Ryan Young blocked his 34th-minute strike but once Telford were ahead the hosts rarely looked like coming from behind as they have done in previous matches.

The work-rate was still there, even when manager Dryden switched to a back-three late on, but City, who started with Rapinder Gill at right-back and Kevin Spencer on the left, were always second best.

Defeat was compounded by several players taking knocks, most notably captain Chris Smith, who had to leave the field with around 15 minutes left after aggravating an ankle injury late in the first-half.

Jamie Price, another to depart early, also had a disappointing match with his trademark deliveries seldom causing trouble for Rob Smith's side.

What chances City did carve out in the first-half came on the break, although it might have been a different story had they made the most of them.

George Clegg volleyed over under pressure from a defender after 18 minutes and the midfielder was off target once again after Mark Danks had taken down Craig Wilding's long ball and played the midfielder in.

Wilding managed to direct a tame header at Young moments later before Webster, after taking on several Telford players to force his way into the box, fired straight at the keeper.

Telford's opportunities were less clear-cut although Simon Forsdick did have Cameron Belford back-peddling to gather a free-kick under his crossbar, while Matt Lewis was caught offside with only Belford to beat.

The visitors did, however, enjoy a lot of possession and it needed some last-ditch defending from Worcester amid several goalmouth scrambles to keep the scoresheet blank.

That luck finally ran out a minute before the interval as City, with Smith carrying an injury, tried to get to the break unscathed.

Telford captain Jimmy Turner was left unmarked in the box and he controlled a left-wing cross before despatching the ball past Belford.

Troy Wood replaced Gill at half-time and took up a place on the left of midfield with Price moving to left-back and Spencer switching to a more familiar right-back role.

But no sooner had they done that than Telford, who themselves replaced Lee Vaughan with Steve Jagielka at the break, scored a second on 53 minutes.

Carl Rodgers had Worcester on the back foot as he sprinted upfield before slipping the ball to Lewis who placed the ball neatly with his right boot across Belford and into the net.

Two soon became three as Forsdick swung over an inviting 59th-minute corner and skipper Turner arrived virtually under the crossbar to head home.

And it would have been four with a carbon copy just 60 seconds later but for Price's timely intervention to volley Turner's header off the line.

City brought on Graham Ward for Price and switched to a back-three but that provided little respite from Telford's onslaught.

Jon Adams blazed over following a good move on 64 minutes and Lee Moore went close following a good pass from Forsdick five minutes later.

Clegg forced Young to tip his well-executed free-kick over the bar 13 minutes from time but it was too little, too late.

With the game long over as a contest, the visitors introduced two fresh strikers - Lewis and Moore making way for Gary Birch and former Malvern Town loanee Justin Marsden.

Dryden also opted to rest the struggling Smith with tomorrow's trip to Redditch United in mind, replacing him with assistant boss Carl Heeley.

The supporters had also left in their droves by this stage, resigned to City's first defeat under new manager Dryden.