MANAGER Carl Heeley is demanding an improvement at both ends of the pitch from Worcester City at Bradford Park Avenue tomorrow (3pm).

The City boss was less than impressed with his side’s defending and profligacy in front of goal during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat against Gloucester City at Aggborough.

Although both sides have nothing beyond pride riding on tomorrow’s fixture in West Yorkshire, with Bradford safe from relegation, the Blue and Whites remain in pole position for a top-10 finish in Conference North.

Heeley said: “It’s a bit of a dead rubber for Bradford and ourselves, we’re just playing for league positions and pride but I expect the players to try to correct some of the things that were wrong on Tuesday.

“We just don’t want to let the season peter out and not get the points that we feel we should be getting.

“It’s going to be a battle. It isn’t the greatest place, the pitch is horrendous so it’s going to be percentage football. It’s going to be another tough game, that’s for sure.”

City are heading to the Horsfall Stadium for the first time since January 2014, when they lost 6-1 in what is now regarded as a watershed moment in last season’s revival. Park Avenue also won 1-0 at Aggborough this January.

Heeley said: “The 6-1 defeat is probably not a factor because only a handful of the players experienced that but I would like to think we could go there and come out with a better result than we did last season.”

Keeper Jose Veiga will make his first start since the 3-0 defeat at North Ferriby United on January 31 as Nathan Vaughan starts a three-match ban for his red card in the 1-1 draw at Lowestoft Town earlier this month.

Centre-half Rob Elvins remains a doubt with a groin problem and striker Michael Taylor is still struggling with a knee injury sustained in last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Hyde.

“There’s an improvement in Rob’s groin but we will have to wait and see,” Heeley said. “I am hopeful he will play some more minutes before the end of the season, whether it will be Saturday or Tuesday I’m not sure yet.”

The Worcester manager added: “Jose will come in. He probably hasn’t played the number of games he wanted to play but his attitude is as good as I’ve ever come across in any player.

“In a roundabout way it’ll be nice that he’s going to finish the season off and play some minutes because he thoroughly deserves it.”

Bradford lost 1-0 at home to title-chasing Fylde on Tuesday and a 3-1 win over Hyde on April 6 is their only victory in their last six games.