WORCESTER City embark on the FA Cup trail tomorrow with a trip to North Devon for a second qualifying round clash with Barnstaple Town (3pm).

John Barton's men will be clear favourites to sweep aside John Hore's Barnstaple side, who are currently languishing three places from the bottom of the Screwfix Direct Western League Premier Division.

But as Barton will recall from his time as a player when Hore's Plymouth Argyle team dumped his Derby County side out of the quarter-finals, underdogs have a nasty habit of biting back.

Barton's assistant and City coach Mick Tuohy is relishing the trip to play the Barum and says the FA Cup has lost none of its magic.

"At this time of year when the cup comes round players miraculously appear at training and suddenly everybody is fit and it is remarkable how it puts a spring in everybody's step," he said.

"It is everybody's dream and is still the biggest and best competition in the world because it offers smaller clubs the chance of performing a giantkilling act.

"But the cup is also a nice break from the rigorous week-to-week routine of the league and everybody would like to have a decent cup run."

Tuohy was part of the famous City cup run in 1983 that ended in glorious failure in the third round at Highfield Road at the hands of then First Division side, Coventry City, in a 3-1 defeat.

"I was fortunate enough to play in that and I can vividly remember high winds which forced part of the stands to be closed but the volume of support from the Worcester fans was incredible," he said.

"We went in front through Paul Moss against a side that was filled with stars such as Mark Hateley, Gerry Francis, Gary Gillespie and the late Les Sealey.

"We lost 3-1 but at 2-1 were close to getting back into it."

City go into the cup tie buoyed by last week's 3-1 victory over King's Lynn at St George's Lane.

"From our point of view the encouraging thing is that we are still on the shirt-tails of the teams at the top of the league and are just six or seven points adrift," added Tuohy.

Long term injuries Danny McDonnell and Chris Greenman are still out for City but the club's injury crisis appears to be easing and midfielder Jon Holloway's heel injury, which has left him unable to train, appears to be easing.

If tomorrow's game is drawn, the replay will be at St George's Lane on Monday (7.45). If there is a positive result, City will visit Moor Green in the league on Tuesday.

Worcester (from): Wyatt, Davies, Heeley, Weir, Burrow, Cottrill, Carty, Holloway, Stant, Owen, Shepherd, Jukes, Middleton, Ellis, Reed, Hyde, McFarlane.