IT doesn't have to be pretty but victory is essential tomorrow to ensure Worcester City's season doesn't fade away.

A combination of drying pitches and loss of form have de-railed John Barton's team but recent memories of end of season slip-ups should be a powerful incentive for a return to winning ways.

Tomorrow's visitors Eastbourne Borough are enjoying a memorable first season in the Dr Martens Premier Division and lie just two points adrift of the St George's Lane club in seventh place.

Injury and illness to Danny McDonnell, Paul Carty and Allan Davies may force Barton to revamp his line-up but City's manager will be throwing down the gauntlet to his side to halt a run of three defeats in four.

After a superb run of victories through January, February and March, Barton is loath to sign off for the season with the bitter taste of defeat lingering into the summer break.

To that end three points is the priority for Worcester tomorrow and how it is achieved doesn't rally matter claims midfielder Pat Lyons.

"We're not going to play brilliant football but we just need to grind out a result to give us some confidence," he said.

"It will be a tough game and I don't think there will be much quality football. It's going to be one of those games in which whoever wants it most will win."

Lyons has been one of City's most consistent performers since Christmas but fears the rigors of a long season could be catching up with a few of the squad.

"I can sense some of the lads are a bit tired, some of the lads like Leon and Carl have not had much of a rest but I suppose that's the same for every team.

"I think we just want to get back to winning ways again.

"We have done so well for 12 or 13 games but I think we felt the Crawley game killed us a bit and knocked our title hopes. If it had gone the other way who knows?"

Recent results might have stoked up the pressure on City's players but Lyons is taking a pragmatic approach.

"We just need a result but I don't think the lads are feeling under any more pressure.

"At Dorchester I think the travelling caught up with us and we just didn't perform.

"Saturday was a tough game against Chippenham but I thought if we had sorted our finishing out it was one of those we could have nicked 1-0.

"At Stafford it wasn't a football game. The pitch was shocking but we didn't really do ourselves justice."

One sub-plot to the match is Eastbourne's disciplinary record which has seen them reduced to 10 men in each of their last three games.

Stuart Playford (twice) and Matt Smart were the culprits.

Borough, who lost 3-1 at home to City in December, have been beaten twice in their last seven matches with Scott Ramsey (65 goals in 100 games) their chief threat.

FORMCAST: Another 1-1 draw.