WORCESTER City have put promising winger Jamie Hyde on a contract.

Manager John Barton has been impressed with the 18-year-old's displays when coming on as a substitute in recent games.

Hyde could be set to celebrate by claiming a place in the starting line-up for tomorrow's long trip to Margate in the Dr Martens Lea-gue Premier Division (3.00).

Barton declined to reveal the length of the contract but he believes Hyde, who has come through the ranks from the youth team, has a promising future.

"He has caught the eye and I think when you look at the composition of the playing squad at the moment, the balance of players who are 30 or over is the wrong type of balance. About 11 out of the 16 are over 30.

"He is a young, local lad and we think he has a chance."

Hyde, who scored in City's 5-2 home defeat against Crawley last week, is likely to replace Keith Knight, who is ruled out with an Achilles tendon injury.

Striker Mark Owen and midfielders Nathan Jukes and Carl Heeley are also ruled out, so Hyde's inclusion is likely to be the only change from the Crawley debacle.

Fourth-placed Margate, who won 3-1 at St George's Lane on the opening day of the season, will provide a stiff test for a City side still needing points to secure their safety from relegation.

Barton added: "Our home form of late has been a bit disappointing.

"But we have had some decent results in our away fixtures and we need to reproduce that.

"Margate have had an excellent first season at this standard and they are a useful side, no doubt about that.

"But we have shown we are good enough to compete with teams at the top end, and don't see any reason why we can't go there and get a result."

Worcester (from): Watson, Sandeman, Willetts, Tucker, Weir, Carty, Deakin, Cottrill, Thomas, Burgess, Hyde, Purdie, Frost, Upton, Lutz.