WORCESTER City's academy side will come under the spotlight in the coming weeks when second year players will find out if they've earned a contract with the first team squad for next season.

Having ploughed considerable time and no little money into the venture it would be a blow to have no youngsters make that next step.

The decision will rest with manager John Barton who fielded three academy starlets against Hednesford in the shape of Richard Tomkins, Dean Smith and Dan Parker.

All three emerged with credit, while Liam McDonald is another in with a chance of a contract.

Barton of course has his sights firmly set on the first team as his third full season will bring with it increased expectation and with this in mind his concerns may well be on spending available money on established Dr Martens Premier Division players.

But for the academy system to prosper it needs encouragement from the St George's Lane boss and handing out contracts to the likes of Smith and Tomkins will be a move in the right direction.

Ultimately the players have to be good enough, but in the company of experienced players such as John Snape and Stewart Hadley, raw potential can be developed.

Youth development officer Ray Woods is confident three or four of the current crop are worthy of a chance and remains optimistic about the academy system's benefits.

"In an ideal world, everybody would be at a standard where they would be looking to be taken on, but it doesn't work like that in the real world," said Woods.

"Three or four of the first intake might be in with a chance of earning a contract and from my point of view I believe they are good enough to warrant a chance to try and progress over the next 12 months.

"In recent months some of the lads have been training with the first team and and while initially they found it quite tough, they now more than hold their own.

"You can look a good player at one standard but have to be able to make the step up and I believe they can."

Woods has been delighted with the standard of the third intake of youngsters with several from academies such as Aston Villa, Walsall and West Brom. Further trials were held last Monday and Woods says the standard is improving year by year.

"We're trying to improve the standard of intake each year and Mark Owen and several of the second year lads were at the trials on Monday and were simply amazed at the standard," he added.

"We're getting lads applying who've been at academies at Villa and Albion which is great. They might not be quite good enough for them but we're delighted to have the on board."