WORCESTER City manager John Barton is bracing himself for a January fixture nightmare following Saturday's postponed Nationwide North clash at Lancaster City.

The fixture was called off by match officials after continuous downpours in North Lancashire led to a waterlogged pitch at the Dolly Blues' Giant Axe ground.

A re-arranged date for the game has yet to be made, although City would want to pencil a return to Lancaster in early February given their demanding itinerary next month.

City are scheduled to play seven competitive matches in January, starting with a New Years' Day trip to Nuneaton Borough in the league.

They then make the long haul to struggling Bradford Park Avenue on Wednesday, January 5, a fixture which was postponed last month due to a frozen pitch, before tackling Ashton United at St George's Lane the following Saturday.

City then travel to Hednesford on Saturday, January 15 in the FA Trophy before hosting Harrogate Town in Nationwide North a week later.

They wrap up the first month of 2005 with two more journeys, firstly to Tamworth in a National Conference Cup third round clash on Tuesday, January 25, and four days later at Worksop Town in the league.

Barton is keen to make good progress in both cup competitions and is hopeful that the newly revised Lancaster fixture is taken into February.

He said: "The FA Trophy game at Hednesford is a big one for us and we would like a clean run up to that. We want to go as far as we can in both the cup competitions that are left open to us.

"I don't think it will harm our chances too much if the Lancaster game is played before the Trophy, but it is not ideal. January is going to be a very busy month for us."