MANAGER Carl Heeley says Worcester City’s FA Cup run has to be the springboard for a promotion push in Conference North.

Following the euphoria of Wednesday’s pulsating second round replay against Scunthorpe United, which the visitors won 14-13 on penalties, City return to the reality of league football with a trip to struggling Stalybridge Celtic tomorrow (3pm).

While a chilly Bower Fold in the shadow of the Pennines might seem a world away from the cauldron of packed Aggborough, it is no less important for the Blue and Whites.

They are looking to protect a seven-match unbeaten league run which stretches back three months as they seek to keep the heat on the play-off pack.

Asked if the cup run would act as a catalyst for a promotion challenge, Heeley said: “It has to.

“We have to keep focused. We had four priorities, now we’ve got three — the league, Trophy and the Worcestershire Senior Cup as well. We’ve got to focus on each game because we want to win as many as we can and be as successful as we can.

“At half-time on Wednesday after conceding a sloppy goal we needed to show character. The character now is refocusing back on the league. We’ve got to do that positively and look to take three points at Stalybridge.”

He added: “What we have to do now is use it as a springboard for our league campaign and the FA Trophy because this club deserves to plying their trade at a higher level. To do that we’ve got to get out of this division and we need the supporters to keep coming more often. If we do that there’s a bright future for the club.”

With City facing a fixture pile-up over Christmas and new year, a run that includes the visit of Halifax in the FA Trophy on Tuesday, Heeley is expected to ring the changes.

He could go with a similar side that won 3-0 at Hyde on December 1 and hand starts to Michael Taylor, Tristan Dunkley, Jacob Rowe and Jose Veiga. Shabir Khan could also come in.

That would enable him to rest the ikes of George Williams, Daniel Nti, Graham Hutchison and Jordan Muphy, who all sat out that match.