JOINT-manager Carl Heeley said he was delighted to see his defenders return to top form as Worcester City kept their FA Trophy run alive with a goalless draw at Southport.

The Blue and Whites arrived at Haig Avenue last night off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Tamworth where their back four struggled to cope with the blustery conditions.

But they responded well as Vanarama National League side Southport failed to breakdown a "resolute" City defence leading to praise from Heeley.

"Tamworth was a difficult day in difficult conditions and it was not as if we went there and got soundly beaten 3-0," he said.

"We didn't take our chances and we defended poorly, which was understandable given the conditions. It was a bit of a lottery.

"But on Tuesday we were back to being resolute and difficult to breakdown. It was a great performance.

"I thought everyone worked their socks off for each other and it is a well-deserved draw for us."

He added: "We dominated the early stages of the game and we were unfortunate not to be leading. They then pegged us back and there was a 15 or 20 minute spell where we were right under the cosh.

"But we were well-drilled, well-organised and rarely looked like conceding and then late on in the last five or ten minute we looked the most likely team to win it.

"We are still in the competition and we have got a second bite of the cherry on home soil."

Worcester will now host Southport at Aggborough next Tuesday night (7.45pm) and Heeley said they would need to produce another strong display to progress to the second round where they will face Dover Athletic next month.

"Southport are now going to have to make the journey down to us on Christmas week, which is probably a game they could do without," Heeley said.

"It is still going to be a tough tie. We are still playing against a side who are full-time and in the division above us, but we proved that we are capable of bridging that gap."