MANAGER Carl Heeley insists expectation levels need to remain realistic at Worcester City after seeing his team edge closer to the play-off positions.

Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Altrincham at St George’s Lane lifted City to seventh in Blue Square Bet North with only goal difference keeping them out of the top five.

However, Heeley is aware his side were tipped for relegation at the start of the campaign and it is barely 18 months since they avoided the drop from Conference South on a technicality.

Although delighted with their progress after 17 games, he is keen to keep talk of a play-off push in check.

“We’ve come a hell of a long way and for teams to even be talking about what we’re capable of doing in the top half of the table is a refreshing change from where we’ve been,” he said.

“It’s still early doors and we’re overjoyed about where we are in the table and our points tally.

“But we’re not going to get carried away. Our feet will be firmly on the ground and we’ll take each game as it comes.

“We’ve got a lot of games to go and if the players keep doing what they are and working hard from the first to the last minute then I can’t ask anything more of them.

“We’ll wait to the last game of the season and then reflect on what we’ve done and where we think we can get better. Time for reflection is at the end of the campaign.”

The weekend success also stretched Worcester’s unbeaten sequence at the Lane to five matches and Heeley now wants them to transfer that form to the road, starting at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday (3pm).

He added: “We need to keep believing in ourselves at home because we do look a good side at the Lane. The better sides, like Altrincham and Guiseley, are having it tough when they come to us and that’s great.

“What we need to do now is take on board the game-plan of trying to be a little more resilient and difficult to break down in the away games because we’ve certainly got the fluidity and power to score goals.

“It’s just keeping that door shut and not giving ourselves a mountain to climb too early in games.

“It’s going to be another tough game for us at Bishop’s Stortford but if we do what we’re capable of, then we can pick up points there.”