AS soon as Worcester City can get to 50 points in the Dr Martens League Premier Division the better as far as I'm concerned.

Why? Because I think that should be enough to make sure we're safe from relegation.

At the moment we are on 40 with nine matches left to play.

That means we've got plenty of points to play for and we've just got to try to pick up as many as we possibly can.

I certainly can't see any reason why we shouldn't get to 50 mark and when we do we can assess the situation again with regard to our priorities for the rest of the season.

One thing is certain though - we must be fully focused on the matches ahead.

Tough

It's fair to say that we've got some tough ones coming up including Saturday's trip to King's Lynn and then Monday's home game with leaders Boston.

Realistically, it's difficult to see us finishing any higher than tenth, but you never know.

Last Saturday, though, we were disappointed at not getting three points from our home match with Weymouth.

In the end we had to settle for just one but, having said that, there were two positive things to come out of the game.

Firstly, the performance of Nathan Jukes in the left-back slot was very encouraging.

He's done that role on two or three occasions in the past and has acquitted himself well to the task.

Also, it was nice to see the way young Jamie Hyde resp-onded to his first taste of action in the first team.

He came on for the last half an hour and wasn't fazed by the experience and coped with the situation well.

What he did was positive and he's a lad with a hunger to succeed.

And that's the kind of attitude and approach we will require from everybody throughout the remainder of the season.

We are well aware that at this stage of the campaign sides in the lower reaches of the table will be battling for every possible point.

And that's exactly what we have got to do to make sure we don't end up in any kind of dog-fight for survival.

In a nutshell that's the challenge - and I'm confident that we'll rise to it.

Wednesday, March 22, 2000.