MANAGER Carl Heeley has called on Worcester City fans to bring Aggborough to life for tonight’s hotly-anticipated encounter against Stockport County (7.45).
City play their second home game in a little over 48 hours following Sunday’s 2-0 win against Vauxhall Motors, bidding to record their ninth win in 13 leagues games.
Victory would also see the Blue and Whites leapfrog County into 13th place in the Skrill North table.
With former Football League outfit Stockport likely to bring an above average following, Heeley wants the Worcester supporters to turn out in force.
He said: “Stockport will bring a huge following. They’re possibly the biggest ever club to play at this level.
“But we have got the capability to draw a fanbase as well at Worcester City and we’re very fortunate.
“The crowds have generally been really impressive this season. Let’s make it a good atmosphere and see if we can go and knock another team over.”
The City boss added: “When you’re going well and having good results, you want to keep playing.
“As I’ve said for a long time, we haven’t been looking at relegation, we’re looking up the table.
“If we can surpass the points tally from last season, I think, from where we were at the end of 2013, it would be a really big achievement.
“There’s confidence in the team. We probably haven’t scored as many goals as we would have liked this season but we’ve got one of the best defensive records in the league and that’s probably seen us over the line.”
County thrashed Worcester 4-0 when the sides met at Edgeley Park in October but the Hatters have not won in eight games, including losing three of their last four.
City are also a different proposition to that day and have their sights firmly on finishing the season in the top half of the division.
Leigh Bedwell, 20, looks set to continue in goal having joined on loan until the end of the season from Swindon Town and he made his debut at the weekend. Birmingham City teenager Callum Preston, who played at North Ferriby United in the league and against Redditch United in the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup, has returned to St Andrew’s.
Heeley explained: “Callum is 18 and it was probably a bit too soon for him.
“We want to develop players, we don’t want to set their careers back and we just felt, speaking to Birmingham, that it was probably too soon for him.”
Fellow keeper Ryan Boot is still out with a knee injury but Jose Veiga, who also has a knee problem, is making progress after taking part in the warm-up on Sunday.
Tonight’s match will be segregated with Stockport fans housed in the south terrace.
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