Worcester City have an opportunity to rekindle their form and avenge a crushing 4-1 defeat when they entertain Kettering Town in the Dr Martens Premier Division tonight (7.45).

John Barton's men have struggled in front of goal in recent games including two goalless draws and spurned several chances in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Folkestone Invicta.

The Poppies, who stuck four past Danny McDonnell in City's goal in just the second match of the season, travel to St George's Lane fresh from a comfortable 4-0 victory over Salisbury.

City's Darren Middleton is relishing the game and sees it as the ideal opportunity to put Saturday's defeat behind them and also to claim revenge for what he called Worcester's worst performance of the season.

"Games come around quickly and we can soon get Saturday's setback out of our system against Kettering tonight," he said.

"We owe them one because we didn't perform at Kettering and it was the worst performance of the season."

Barton said the scramble for league positions made tonight's match important to win.

"Because of the tightness of it all with points either way you can be looking up or down on the strength of one result," he said.

"But games come round thick and fast in this league and we have another chance tonight."

After the Folkestone defeat Barton reflected on his side's efforts in front of goal.

"Too many chances are going missing and once again it's three points gone missing," he said.

"We're getting the chances but not looking as though we are going to put them away."

Veteran striker Phil Stant could return to the City line-up tonight after missing the last two matches with a hamstring problem.

Marc Burrow, who missed Saturday's defeat at Folkestone, and Paul Carty who came on as a second-half substitute will also be vying for a place in the starting line-up.

But Worcester's injury problems continue with doubts over the fitness of Andy Ellis, who came off with a back injury, and Allan Davies with a re-occurrence of his knee injury.

Davies, who missed the last five matches with a ligament injury, experienced some stiffness in his knee after the match at Folkestone.

* Worcester City will play away at Barnstaple Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round on September 29.