WORCESTER 2 HARBORNE 1

IN their second Coaching Solutions sponsored Midlands Premier League fixture, Worcester faced a tough test against ex-National League side Harborne who have been in the top four of this league for the last five years.

There was added interest in the game as ex-Harborne duo Charles and James Wright are now with Worcester, James as player/coach.

Worcester edged the first half on possession and number of chances and should have been 1-0 up when James Wright fired a penalty corner high into the roof of the net, only for the umpire to adjudge that the ball did not leave the circle before the shot was taken.

The home side got the perfect start to the second half with South African international Marvin Bam beating several defenders with a combination of sheer pace and good skills, then hammering a reverse stick shot low into the bottom corner of the net.

Worcester dominated for longer spells in the second period and in one attack Simon Miles coolly slotted the ball home to put his side two up.

A penalty corner gave Harborne hope with a neat deflection at the far post from Jeremy Bowlock.

Worcester travel away to John Player (Nottingham) on Saturday.

GLOUCESTER 4 WORCESTER 8

This second round match in the HA Cup produced an interesting fixture with Worcester taking on South East Premier League and ex-National League side Gloucester City. The visitors started brightly with James Cosh scoring a magnificent hat-trick within the opening ten minutes. A further goal from Chris Adams combined with three pieces of sloppy defending gave Worc-ester a narrow 4-3 lead at half-time.

The second half saw two goals apiece from James Wright and Dan Fox which finished the Worcester scoring, with Gloucester only managing to get one in response.

Worcester travel away to Leicester Thursday in the third round on November 2.

WORCESTER 2nds 0 HARBOURNE 1

Worcester forced a number of short corners which they failed to connect.

After half time Harborne won a penalty stroke which was duly converted.

WORCESTER 3rds 1 BIRM UNIV 2

A penalty flick was put away with ease by Paul Sharratt, but Birmingham scored late in the first half and early in the second.

WORCESTER 4ths 6

WORCESTER 5ths 0

It wasn't long before the first goal came, courtesy of Simon Tinley.

The second followed soon after Ewan Bell finished from close range. Mel Wycherley ended the first half scoring by rifling in a precision cross.

Worcester fifths were more organised in the second half but it was much of the same from the fourths with Dominic Harris and York Senior controlling the midfield. Andy Hares fired in a first time shot to get the second half under way. Wycherley popped up a further two times, scoring on each occasion to complete a fine hat-trick.

WORCESTER 7ths 4 WALSALL 2

Worcester's scorers were Adrian Shepley, Andy Pritchard, Martin Edwards and Lionel Chambers.

WORCESTER BADGERS 0

KINGS HEATH PICKWICK 0

Worcester were awarded two penalty strokes when defenders stopped the ball on the goalline with their bodies.

Unfortunately neither Tom Padden or Gareth Bannister managed to convert them. On the one occasion that Kings Heath had a scoring opportunity Worcester's keeper Alex Dakin made a cracking save.

WORCESTER 6 BRADFORD 2

WORCESTER women went into a 3-0 lead within the first 15 minutes of this National League match.

Tina Evans twice found the net with two well struck penalty corners and then 16 year-old Welsh international Jenny Rogers scor-ed her first league goal during open play as a result of some accurate passes.

Bradford had finished fourth in the league last year and had won their first league game comfortably by 4 - 1. They were taken by surprise by Worcester's strong start and regained some of their form after 20 minutes when they scored their first goal.

In the second half, both sides continued to press forward resulting in two more goals for Worcester, both from penalty corners scored by Sadie Lapper and Jo Walker respectively.

The visitors, however, fought back again and scored in the 43rd minute from one of many penalty corners.

Skipper Elaine Sheppard finished off any hope of a comeback for Bradford with an impressive shot from the top of the area.

On Saturday Worcester hope to build on their success in a friendly fixture against Nottingham Highfields. Their next league game is away at Bedford on Saturday, October 25.

WORCESTER 2nds 0

BROMSGROVE 1

Despite Worcester's dominance the two sides remained even until the final play of the first half when Bromsgrove scored from a short corner.

Worcester came out more determined in the second half and pressurised the Bromsgrove defence with a constant stream of attacks and kept the home side deep into their own half for the majority of the second 35 minutes.

BROMSGROVE 3

WORCESTER 4ths 2

After some Worcester def-ensive confusion, Bromsgrove were able to score first.

This then left Worcester wrong-footed and Bromsgrove took full advantage of the lack of accurate passing by Worcester to achieve their second goal.

The first half concluded with Bromsgrove pushing forward.

The second half initially saw a continuation of Bromsgrove's domination when a strong move was crossed and neatly tucked into goal for Bromsgrove's third.

However, Worcester started to fight back and gained a strength and co-ordination that had been lacking through the first half.

As the second half progressed, Worcester achieved dominant possession and were rewarded for their fight back with a goal 20 minutes into the second half following a strong strike from the top of the D by Libby Hayes.

Worcester then continued to push much harder and only five minutes later got their second goal following a cross by Nicky Wilkinson from wide left which was pushed into goal by Charlotte Harvey.

The remainder of the half saw continued forward pushes by Worcester.

With 10 minutes to go, Worcester then had their best opportunity to equalise with a series of four short corners.

However, the lack of follow-up on each of the opportunities meant the scoreline remained in Bromsgrove's favour.