Draw not so bad for City (From Worcester News)

Draw not so bad for City

12:00pm Wednesday 10th October 2012 in Sport By Steve Carley, @stevecarleyWN

TYLER WEIR: The defender is hoping to help Worcester City reach the first round proper of the FA Cup at Bromley a week on Saturday.

WHEN the FA Cup fourth qualifying round draw was made on Monday, Worcester City must have been cursing their luck once again.

Having not received a home tie in the competition since September 2009, when they beat Bourne Town 3-0, City might have thought the law of averages would finally be on their side.

Instead, their reward for overcoming Weston-super-Mare in a replay at St George’s Lane is a trip to Bromley — the seventh time in a row the draw has sent City on their travels.

But, when you consider City managed to dodge every team in the Blue Square Bet Premier, it might not be the worst draw in the world.

Indeed, if history is anything to go by, they might actually be better off away from the Lane.

Six years ago, the last time Worcester had a sniff of making the first round, they were drawn at home in each of their three qualifying rounds but were taken to replays in all of them.

They eventually went out on penalties to Basingstoke with a trip to Chesterfield on the line.

On that occasion, City threw away a great opportunity to follow up their Huddersfield exploits of the season before. Now they have a chance to make up for that.

Although Bromley, mid-table in Blue Square Bet South, won’t be push-overs, it is a match Carl Heeley’s men are more than capable of winning.

City are currently on a run of one defeat in 13 and riding high in sixth place in Blue Square Bet North.

There is also the small matter of prize money. Worcester have already banked £12,000 from beating Gornal Athletic and Weston and there is another £12,500 for the winners on Saturday week.

Add to that, the potential of drawing the likes of Sheffield United or Coventry City in the first round, and Worcester could be in the money.

It won’t make much of a dent into affording a new ground but, in the short-term at least, it would go a long way to keeping them in business once they leave the Lane.

With that in mind, Heeley is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of success with the club’s supporters’ trust paying for the team to stay overnight in Kent ahead of the match.

The importance of the game is not lost on the players, either, and right-back Tyler Weir knows they have to keep their emotions in check.

He said: “All the lads are buzzing but we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground. We want to get in that first round, draw a big league club here and beat them.

“Last year we lost in the second qualifying round so that was worrying us a little bit but we will be flying when we go to Bromley.

“The fans were great on Monday and at Weston as well so hopefully we can take a few to Bromley too.”