WORCESTER City manager Richard Dryden does not want to keep asking for a response from his players as they look to bounce back from their latest defeat at Bromley tomorrow.

The St George’s Lane outfit crashed to a 1-0 reverse against Bath City in their last Blue Square South outing.

But it was how his players performed in the first-half that had the City boss tearing his hair out.

“I don’t want to keep asking my players for a response because we have started badly,” Dryden said.

“If my players are in the comfort zone thinking they can keep trying to do it all in the second-half, then they are in for a rude awakening.

“I have players on the bench waiting for their chance and if the lads in the team think they can go through the motions, then people like Jemiah Richards, Jordan Fitzpatrick and Troy Wood are there waiting.”

Following their flying start to the campaign, City have only picked up one point in their last three games.

That came in the 1-1 draw at Weston-super-Mare last Saturday where they played the majority of the second-half with only 10 men following the dismissal of skipper Craig Wilding.

The former Chesterfield and York City player is available for tomorrow’s clash in Kent with his three-match ban not beginning until next weekend.

Dryden is also hoping either Dave Bampton or Matt Dodd will be able to return in midfield from their respective ankle and groin injuries.

“Hopefully they won’t have any reaction to last night’s training session,” Dryden said. “They did OK in a fitness test on Monday before the Bath game.

“But the recovery time is never quick enough.”

Full-back Shabir Khan has shaken off a minor groin strain to maintain his place in the starting XI.

“He played through the pain barrier a little bit on Monday,” Dryden explained.

“He has started well and it is now down to Shabs to keep up the standards that he has set himself.”

Bromley come into this match following a 3-1 defeat at title favourites AFC Wimbledon on Bank Holiday Monday which came on the back of a 5-1 thumping of Hampshire outfit Eastleigh.

But City’s record away from home has been better than their form at St George’s Lane with Dryden’s men yet to taste defeat on the road.

“I don’t know why that is, maybe it’s because there is less pressure but we can’t rely on that,” the City boss insisted.

“I want to achieve something in this league so we need to be performing at home as well.”