PATIENCE was in short supply for fans at St George's Lane on Monday -- fuelled by a pretty abject showing by City against Moor Green.

Renewed optimism, instilled by victories against Newport and Redditch, dissipated in the face of a ragged display, made only slightly bearable by the rampaging Leon Kelly, the debut of Shabir Khan and the continuing excellence of goalkeeper Danny McDonnell.

It may have just been the League Cup, but the performance raised the spectre of insipid showings against Stafford and Sutton, a concern ahead of Saturday's crucial league match with Nuneaton.

City still hover just a few tantalising points away from the top three in the Dr Martens Premier Division but with performances like those, it feels like a million miles.

Defeat against Moor Green is no disgrace, far from it, but the manner of that loss left City fans, and I suspect manager John Barton, overwhelmingly frustrated.

Admittedly Barton tinkered with his side, forced in part by the absence of John Snape and Paul Carty's, but Khan aside he had little to reflect upon, other than Adam Webster might be better served playing right midfield with Mark Owen up front and Jon Holloway in defence.

Perhaps Barton learned more about the importance of Snape and Carty who in recent games have illustrated how pivotal they are to City's fortunes.

Encouragingly, Khan's impressive debut saw him ably deputise for Carty, but unearthing the next Snape will be an essential part of Barton's summer business during the much-anticipated shake-up, already started by Darren Middleton's appearance on the transfer list.

Monday's performance suggested that in the long run Barton must consider some serious pruning elsewhere if City are to crank up another notch in performance and ambition.

Whether Worcester can realistically reach the ultimate goal of bona fide title challengers next season is a moot point -- finances might perhaps limit horizons but, with the impending stadium move, those might yet expand.

Football fans though need something to cling to, something in which to invest their faith.

As hardy a bunch as they are (and after 20 years of little to cheer, City fans are among the hardier) unbridled faith and optimism only goes so far -- and certainly not on a windy Monday night.

But there exists a core of young talent at the club led by the likes of Jai Stanley, Kelly, Woolley, Owen, Wilde that with Khan, Liam McDonald and Dan Parker hints at a potentially bright future.

Harnessed with a few older heads such as Holloway, Heeley and McDonnell, and some astute purchases in the summer, there could yet be reason to cheer at St George's Lane, but it means City fans stretching their patience a little further.