Down the Lane with Nat Sylvester

'HOW much longer have we got to put up with this John?' cried a disgruntled supporter to John Barton after the recent draw with Halesowen Town.

It brought a rueful smile from the City manager who, having stoked expectation with the club's best start for more than 20 years was now paying the price for raising horizons.

His immediate response was: 'It hasn't been all bad has it?' and of course the answer is no -- far from it.

Results have dipped of late -- just three league wins since defeating Tamworth in January -- but Rome wasn't built in a day and in reality, this season may have come a year too early for City to sustain a championship challenge.

City's form has been sketchy of late with injuries to crucial players at key stages further hampering their title bid. Look no further than the momentous victory at Tamworth which came at a cost with the injury to the influential John Snape.

But despite mixed results they are still just two points adrift of runners-up spot in fifth place and there has been a year on year improvement in the City team. The next stage of their development is to learn to finish a season strongly.

What happens in the next five games will therefore be pivotal in shaping confidence for next season.

Fade away again and the suspicions will be voiced about their ability to cope under pressure. See it through with a strong finish and next season's fortunes look a whole lot rosier.

Barton remains keen to bolster his squad with a predatory striker topping his shopping list but reel off the names Webster, Wilde, Hadley, Jones, Heeley, Foy, McDonnell, Lyons and Snape and there is a strong core to the squad.

A born-again Mark Owen or a new striker could be the most decisive acquisition particularly as a recurring theme has been their failure to hit the net at critical times (City have failed to score in 13 league games this season).

Expectation remains the lifeblood of any supporter and once the appetite is whetted it's not easily sated hence the sense of disappointment that has surrounded City's form since New Year.

Supporters have every right to expect a lot especially at a club that burdens itself with such tags as 'sleeping giant' and 'one of the biggest clubs in non-league football', but Barton can at least claim to be making progress at St George's Lane and remains on the right track.

Allan Davies and David Holmes will see a specialist about their respective Gilmore's Groin injuries tomorrow.

Both are expected to require surgery, while midfielder Pat Lyons is still waiting for a date to go under the knife for his hip flexor muscle injury.