Destiny of campaign under City's control (From Worcester News)

Destiny of campaign under City's control

9:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010

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IN a little over five weeks, Worcester City will bring the curtain down on another season.

Another campaign they will be happy to see the back of.

But the big question still remains. Will they be a Blue Square South team come 5pm on Saturday, April 24?

As things stand, Carl Heeley’s team are the favourites to avoid relegation given their seven-point advantage over third-bottom Lewes — the only team City need realistically concern themselves with in the battle for survival.

Barring miracles, the bottom two of Weymouth and Weston-super-Mare are down and Worcester, in 19th position, will do well to catch the teams above them.

Hampton and Richmond have four games in hand, while Bishop’s Stortford are five points better off having played a game less.

It will be a straight fight between City and Lewes — who also meet in a potentially decisive clash at St George’s Lane on April 10 — to avoid joining Weston and Weymouth, who could yet find themselves in administration before the end of the month.

But it is City who occupy pole position going into what is set to be an intruiging finale.

Lewes may have two games in hand — at home to Bath City and St Albans — but victory in both would still leave the Dripping Pan outfit a point behind their rivals.

Therefore, as long as Heeley’s side match the Rooks in the seven other remaining fixtures, they will stay up. Sounds simple doesn’t it?

Of course, such a scenario is far from certain.

Three of City’s fixtures are against sides currently in play-off positions and two of those, against Staines and Chelmsford, are away.

They also host Bath City, fifth in the present standings, on Easter Monday.

In addition, they will have to negotiate the next four fixtures without striker Rob Elvins, who has been used as a makeshift defender of late, as the result of his red card against Hampton and Richmond.

Left-back Shabir Khan also has two more games to serve of his four-game ban and captain Tom Kemp is a major injury concern, further limiting the manager’s options.

Six of Lewes’ remaining games are against teams currently placed 10th or below in the table, including the four immediately above them.

The East Sussex side also haven’t won away all season.

Whatever happens, however, City’s fate is in their own hands and that is a major advantage as the pressure begins to crank up.

Survival is theirs to throw away and they will only have themselves to blame if they fail to retain their status in the division.