WORCESTER City’s woeful record against Gloucester City continued as they lost to their rivals for a seventh time in a row.

Femi Orenuga’s seventh-minute strike was cancelled out by a Sean Geddes penalty 12 minutes before the break but Harry Williams made it 2-1 in the 72nd minute and that proved to be the winner.

But the Blue and Whites, who last beat Gloucester on Boxing Day 2011, will be wondering how they came away empty-handed after squandering a host of second-half chances.

Substitute Trisitian Dunkley and Mike Symons could have put the game to bed before Williams pounced to secure the victory that ensures the Tigers’ survival in Conference North.

Gloucester took the lead after just seven minutes. Former City striker Nick Wright was the provider as he slipped a neat pass to Orenuga inside the box and he slid it beyond Nathan Vaughan into the far corner.

Stung into action, City upped their efforts and Daniel Nti sent an acrobatic overhead kick onto the roof of the net. Not long after, Geddes rolled the ball into Nti’s path but the striker fired way over.

Jacob Rowe headed Ellis Deeney’s free-kick tamely wide before producing a crunching block at the other end to deny Williams in a dangerous position.

But Worcester were back on level terms in the 33rd minute. A shot from Geddes was parried by Paul White and as Symons went for the rebound in the box, Mike Green pulled him back. Green was booked and Geddes smashed home the spot-kick, sending White the wrong way.

City, who had Nti, Anthony Charles and Kyle Haynes booked, almost had a second five minutes later but Rowe’s header skimmed the bar from Geddes’ left-wing corner.

Joao Sousa was caught by the boot of Adam Connolly early in the second period but the teenager, who scored with a stunning strike against Hyde on Saturday, soon dusted himself down to crack a crisp drive wide.

Symons then sent an effort the wrong side of the post before, at the other end, Williams was denied by a comfortable save from Vaughan.

Dunkley’s 58th-minute arrival for Sousa gave City a fresh pair of legs up front and, following a fine move, he drilled an effort past the post.

But the visitors regained the lead against the run of play 18 minutes from time. Wright’s shot was deflected into the path of Williams and the on-loan Cheltenham striker slid the ball tidily beyond Vaughan.

Rowe flicked a header over the bar moments later as City sought an immediate riposte and Dunkley fired agonisingly wide of the far post after breaking into the box.

City: Vaughan 7, Haynes 7, Weir 7, Charles 7, Rowe 8*, Denny 7 (Waldron 84), Nti 7, Deeney 7, Symons 8, Ged-des 7, Sousa 6 (Dunkley 58). Subs: Shabir, Smith, Veiga. Attendance: 583.