WHEN Dave Boddy was told who Worcester City had drawn in the FA Cup, he thought it was a wind-up.

After having to personally intervene to ensure Nick Colley left safely 10 days ago, Tamworth was the last place the City chairman must have wanted to go.

But that was the reality facing everyone at St George's Lane as the sides were paired together at The Lamb in the second qualifying round a week on Saturday.

Football secretary Graham Hill even predicted Andy Preece's side would be returning to Staffordshire in the cup as the dust settled on their recent 2-0 victory.

Boddy said: "When he told me I thought he was joking but I realised he wasn't and I was in disbelief.

"It wasn't very pleasant on that Saturday and I see the FA Cup tie as being even more difficult."

Colley was an unused sub for the Blue Square North match against his former club and was subjected to torrents of abuse from the home fans.

A section also waited to confront the midfielder afterwards, prompting stewards to usher him out of a side exit. Things are unlikely to be any different come September 29.

The chairman said: "It's a difficult draw on the field and off the field.

"We got an excellent result there last week but Tamworth is always a tricky place to go and play and has been ever since I have been involved in football.

"The draws have been kind to us in the last two years but they were unkind to us the two years before so it looks like we're back on the difficult road."

Manager Preece said: "I would have taken anyone at home but there were six teams I didn't want away from home and Tamworth were one of them but that's the way it goes.

"We won there in the league and we just have to go there and win in the cup but it's a bad draw, there's no getting away from that.

"Graham Hill predicted it, he felt that was going to happen and, the way the draw is regionalised, there are some tough draws."

But Preece added: "It's probably the toughest draw we could have asked for but there's no reason why we can't get a positive result and try to get through from there."