WORCESTER City manager Carl Heeley is determined to keep his players grounded as their play-off push gathers momentum.

Monday’s 2-1 triumph over promotion rivals Gainsborough Trinity was City’s fourth consecutive victory and closed the gap on the Blue Square Bet North top five to just two points.

Goals from Mike Symons and Greg Mills also ensured the St George’s Lane outfit went unbeaten in seven league games for the first time in six years.

With home games to come against 16th-placed Droylsden on Saturday and sixth-placed Stalybridge Celtic the weekend after, breaking into the play-off places is within City’s grasp.

Yet, while Heeley is aware of what is at stake, he insists the team will not be getting ahead of themselves.

He said: “We’re pleased but we have to come back down to earth. It’s one win and we’ve got nine games to go.

“Our philosophy is we take one game at a time, we don’t think about anything else.

“We will savour the moment but on Thursday night they are going to be working hard in training and focused on the next game.

“Nothing else will come into our minds other than that and that’s the way we operate.

“It’s serving us OK at the moment but we haven’t achieved anything yet.

“Everybody realised there was a great opportunity to close the gap on Gainsborough and there was a lot of desire shown, as there has been in most training sessions and games this season.

“I can count on one hand the times when they haven’t done that and the results have reflected that.

“I don’t have anything but praise for them. I am proud of their efforts and how they approach things.

“They deserve to get some plaudits for it because they are a great set of lads.

“But there’s no need to put undue pressure on players because they don’t go and express themselves otherwise.”

City controlled Monday’s contest but, despite laying seige to the Trinity goal, trailed to Ryan Kendall’s strike 16 minutes before the break.

Heeley added: “To go behind from their first attack was a bit frustrating and it was a clear foul on Rob Elvins as well, the goal shouldn’t have stood.

“But once our first goal went in it looked like there was only going to be one winner.

“It was a thoroughly deserved win, we were good value and I felt we dominated the game for 90 minutes.”