“WORCESTER produced a scintillating brand of attacking football in this Midland Floodlit Cup match at St George’s Lane.”

That was the verdict of Peter Fulbrook, the Worcester News reporter covering City’s 6-0 hammering of higher-ranked Cheltenham Town in the Midland Floodlit Cup.

Gerry Graham rattled in a hat-trick alongside two from Paddy Mullen and one for Stan Round, the prolific marksman picked up from Burton Albion.

The team’s biggest win for 18 months, one that extended to 15 matches their unbeaten run, was aided by three goals in five first-half minutes that “shattered” Cheltenham.

“Their final goal haul could well have reached double figures,” wrote Fulbrook.

“It was one of the finest displays of attacking football seen on the ground for a long time, and the City players were given a standing ovation by the 1,493 spectators.”

Praise was understandably lavished on all in blue and white but specific mention was given to left-wing partners Ernie Ward and Mullen who “stood out head and shoulders” above the rest.

That view was supported by a Cheltenham Town official who said: “Your forward line is great. They are completely out of their class.

“You have the best wingers I have seen for a long time.”

The rout began with a 16th-minute strike from Round with Mullen crossing a bouncing ball for his colleague to lash home a fierce shot via the underside of the crossbar.

Wave after wave of attack continued with the famous five-minute blitz beginning in the 27th minute from a move involving Mullen at every step of the way.

Mullen exchanged crisp passes with Trevor Peck before pushing to Ward who cut back for his partner in crime to fire in a beautiful angled shot into the far corner of the net.

Ex-West Bromwich Albion apprentice Mullen soon had his second and City’s third, brushing aside a tackle to make the most of keeper Tony Cook’s failure to gather Graham’s cross from the right.

Ward then “hared goalwards” before finding the perfectly-placed Graham to blast in the fourth with the match only 32 minutes old.

There was some respite for the rest of the half but Worcester did not relinquish their stranglehold, scoring a fifth within 30 seconds of the restart as Ward’s low, hard cross was turned in by Graham without Cheltenham getting a touch from kick-off.

Mullen was again the architect of Graham’s hat-trick goal in the 65th minute.

Having been fouled by Bobby Etheridge on the edge of the box, he dusted himself down to smash a piledriver that almost took Cook into the net. Graham had no trouble netting the rebound.

City would go on to finish second in the Midland Floodlit Cup that season while comfortably winning Southern League Division One, bouncing back from the club's first relegation 12 months previously.

City: Maclaren; McEwan, A Wood; J Wood, Madley, Peck; Round, Gould, Graham, Mullen, Ward. Sub: Collins.