ANDY Preece insists a strong start to the 2006/07 league season is imperative to give Worcester City a chance of promotion.

City's assault on the play-offs ended in disappointment on Bank Holiday Monday when thumped 3-0 by Droylsden -- a result leaving them seven points adrift of fifth-placed Harrogate with two games left.

But manager Preece blamed a miserable first half to the Nationwide North campaign for his side's unsuccessful bid.

For the first six months of the season, City were encamped in the division's bottom six. They faced an uphill struggle after netting a meagre seven points from their opening 11 games and, at the turn of 2005, chalked up just three league wins.

Preece admits results prior to the New Year were not good enough and wants mistakes to be learned when the squad re-groups for the new season.

"The start of this season was really bad," said Preece. "We had a really good finish, but we did not give ourselves a proper chance.

"It was the same last season when John Barton was in charge. We did not have the best of starts but, when we came in, we had a good finish.

"Next season, we need a good start -- it's almost key to our season. We don't want to rely on another good run in the second-half of the season and playing catch-up all over again.

Preece added: "If we can be in the top 10 at Christmas, we are going to be almost certainly there for the duration.

"From our first 10 games, we would look at picking up between 15 and 20 points."

Preece believes an unstable defence was at the heart of City's early wobbles.

Justin Thompson, Chris Smith and Des Lyttle, all new signings last summer, needed time to work an understanding following the departures of Carl Heeley, Paul Carty and Barry Woolley.

Preece added: "I don't think we had a settled back three. We made so many changes and that was always going to be a problem.

"Barry Woolley was here for a short time. Justin Thompson was here for a bit, then he wasn't, then he came back.

"Chris and Des were still coming to terms with the other players. They never got that understanding in defence right from the beginning.

"That solid base is what our good run of results has been built on. Our defending has been excellent, so those problems should not happen again."