WORCESTER City finally ended their Halesowen Town bogey with a comprehensive 3-1 away win in yesterday's Dr Martens League Premier Division clash.

City's first league win over their close rivals in 11 attempts was enough to close the gap on leaders Burton Albion back to eight points.

And the performance delighted manager John Barton, who said: "The first-half was probably the best 45 minutes we have had for a long while.

"The play was good, it was bright and overall we have had contributions from a lot of players.

"At 2-0 we still hadn't killed it off and in the second-half we sat off it a little bit. The opposition are going to have a go to try and chase it and they had a little bit more possession, but we stifled it out quite well."

City, with eight players on the injured list, had the ideal start when after only three minutes Mike Wyatt, who again impressed as a makeshift front man alongside Mark Owen, curled a superb shot into the top corner of the net after receiving Andy Bradley's pass.

Then on 15 minutes Owen was brought down by home 'keeper Andy Quy as he chased Wyatt's pass. The marksman picked himself up to net his 20th goal of the season from the penalty spot.

City dominated up until the break, with on-loan right-back Allan Davies once again doing well, but they took their foot off the gas in the second half and Halesowen, who had hardly threatened, began to sense a lifeline.

But with the three central defenders again in fine form, there was little to trouble former Halesowen 'keeper Danny McDonnell, although he did very well to turn a rasping Ross Collins drive over the bar.

City made the points safe 10 minutes from time when Owen sent substitute Carl Tranter, who had only been on the field for eight minutes, clear to slot home the third.

Halesowen's consolation two minutes from time, almost inevitably from former City striker Sam Bowen, came too late to matter.