Summary

FA VASE LIVE: Worcester City v Highgate United

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  • FT: City 2 (Hawkins 5, Brain 37 - Brain sent off 41) Highgate 0
  • TEN-man City delivered a perfect backs-to-the-wall performance to defend a 2-0 lead and progress past Highgate United in the FA Vase.
  • Worcester were on the front foot from the off and led within five minutes, centre-half Joe Hawkins cushioning back across goal and beyond keeper James Beeson from Aaron Birch's driven ball from the right.
  • Highgate gradually grew into the game after 15 minutes and played around City in the middle at times only to be met with a resolute rearguard action.
  • The best chance United had came 31 minutes in when Lei Brown failed to connect with a header four yards out and Sean Brain made him pay for that miss.
  • The striker, who netted a hat-trick on his debut at Selston last week, cut in from the left through two challenges before checking back inside and arcing a swinging shot over Beeson's glove that kissed the underside of the bar on its way in.
  • But Brain went from hero to villain when sent off for a late lunge for the ball which connected with James Wilcock's leg.
  • City were rocked for the last bit of the half but boss Ashley Vincent shuffled his pack to a 4-4-1 and while United pressed in the second half, the masterplan worked with few openings of note.
  • Sam Hall might have wrapped it up five minutes after the interval when Beeson dropped the ball at his feet only for the City man to slice over from inside the six-yard box.
  • But it mattered not as City, expertly marshalled by Craig Jones at the heart of the defence, kept danger at bay with Highgate's fortunes summed up by captain and ex-Worcester defender Sam Oji being sin-binned in stoppage time.
  • City progress to the first round proper, scoop £725 in prize money and are now seven stages from a Wembley final.

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