IF Sven-Goran Eriksson thinks English Premier Division teams play too much football he should check out Worcester City's youth team!

Ray Woods' side recently clocked up 10 games in 22 days, winning nine and losing just one.

It's been a fabulous achievement for the academy squad some of whose members have also been playing for Geoff Ashby's City reserve team.

Woods is excited by a number of his young players and will sit down with City boss John Barton over the coming months and discuss some of the candidates he feels might benefit from training and playing with the first team.

In the meantime there is no complaint from the commitment point of view.

"They've done amazingly well considering the number of games they've played," said Woods.

"We've had a flu bug sweeping through the club and on Saturday we were down to just two fit sets of 11.

"Geoff took his reserve side to Gresley where they won for the first time there in 20 odd years and we played Perrywood, who are top of the league, and beat them 2-0 in the Baylis Cup.

"It's very encouraging at the moment and the second years have come to the fore and are in the habit of winning games."

City are second in the Midland Combination Reserve Division, second in the Midland Floodlit Youth League South, top of the PASE division, and third in the Worcester and District League Saturday Premier Division.

"They are as good as anything at this level, certainly in the West Midlands," said Woods.

"But it's a different step up playing and training with the first team and you either make it or you don't."

City's good form continued in the PASE league yesterday with a 3-1 victory over Southport at Neel Park with an own goal and strikes from Tom Wale and Mohsen Knchoei.

In the evening the academy's first years dominated at Stourport Swifts in the Midland Floodlit League but were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw.