Don’t give up on play-off hopes just yet (From Worcester News)

Don’t give up on play-off hopes just yet

12:00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Steve Carley

FEBRUARY is an important month for Worcester City.

Having gone the whole of January without winning in Blue Square Bet North, indeed only picking up two points from a possible 18, the next few weeks have taken on an added significance.

They could well be the difference between a renewed play-off push or an end to the season with nothing much to play for.

Not that finishing in and around 10th would be a bad thing, far from it considering recent seasons, but given how well City have done at times this term, they will hope for more.

Although slightly premature, should Worcester fail to finish in the top five, they will almost certainly point to January as where the challenge faltered.

Yet, there is still every reason to think Carl Heeley’s team can turn around their slump in form and get back on track in the weeks ahead.

It is perhaps a blessing in disguise that last Saturday’s match against Gainsbor-ough Trinity at St George’s Lane was postponed be-cause facing a fellow play-off contender with three centre-halves injured was probably the last thing City needed. One or more of Stuart Whitehead, Jacob Rowe and Lee Ayres should now be fit to face them in the rearranged fixture on Monday, March 12, as well as taking on Boston United this Saturday.

Heeley’s men then have distinctly winnable games at Solihull Moors and at home to relegation-threatened Blyth Spartans, after which City could be firmly back in the hunt.

Captain Kevin O’Connor certainly hasn’t given up on extending the season into May and remains upbeat.

“I believe totally in the squad, we should be in the play-offs and I think we will be,” the midfielder said.

“The way the league is, if we get a few wins under our belts and other teams drop points, which they will, I think we can easily creep back up. January was a disappointing month but it was frustrating more than anything. The way we lost at Halifax was frustrating and we should have picked up points against Gloucester and Vauxhall.

“We need to get one win and we will go on a run. Teams have done it before, like Eastwood last season.

“There’s nothing we can do about January, that’s gone, but February is definitely a month we need to get points from.”