Worcester City fans need home comforts from the run-in (From Worcester News)

Worcester City fans need home comforts from the run-in

10:30am Wednesday 13th March 2013 in Sport

TOM THORLEY: Determined to put an end to City’s current slide.

OF all the seasons for Worcester City’s form to nosedive.

From potential play-off contenders, they have suffered five defeats on the spin and are staring at mid-table mediocrity in their final campaign at St George’s Lane.

With just three months before the bulldozers move in to demolish more than a century of history, City are in their worst run of results for eight years.

Down to 12th in Blue Square Bet North, they have not scored in their previous three games, something they last failed to do at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Such records are unwelcome at the best of times but the timing of the current situation couldn’t be much worse.

This is precisely when they needed to be building momentum to give them lift-off heading into what will be a tough new era at Kidderminster Harriers.

They may now be in a more realistic position in the table, following a fine start to the campaign, but keeping the fans interested is paramount, especially at home. You don’t necessarily need to be challenging for honours, just winning a few games and playing half-decent football.

If there is nothing riding on matches crowd numbers drop off if supporters feel the fare on offer isn’t value for money.

Which is why the upcoming home double-header against Boston United on Saturday (3pm) and Gainsborough Trinity on Monday (7.45pm) is vital.

After these visits, there will only be three more home games left. This will be the last time City will play two games in 48 hours at the Lane, indeed the Trinity clash will be the last ever Monday match under the floodlights.

City are back on home soil for the first time since being edged out 1-0 by promotion-chasing Guiseley last month, a game many felt Carl Heeley’s side deserved to win.

How Worcester could do with putting on a show to encourage supporters to stick with the team and, more importantly, go with them to Aggborough.

Midfielder Tom Thorley insists the team are determined to drag themselves out of their current slide, starting against the Pilgrims on Saturday.

“As a group, we still carry a lot of confidence that we are a good side, now it’s a matter of picking up a point or a win as soon as possible and have a strong finish to the season,” he said. “Hopefully that will come against Boston and we can move on.”

Thorley, who has been involved in every Worcester game this season, also believes there is reason to be optimistic despite last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Vauxhall Motors.

He said: “On the back of the Halifax game we reflected a lot and had two good training sessions and were confident of getting something out of the match so it was extremely frustrating how it panned out.

“We didn’t create a lot of chances but their winner was a deflected shot and that’s what happens when luck’s against you. But the Vauxhall game was a lot more encouraging.”