7/4/01 - City chief eager to get back on track

Two successive defeats have threatened to undo all the good work generated by an excellent 11-match unbeaten run.

Thursday's 2-1 home defeat against Evesham United in a Worcestershire Senior Cup semi-final replay has ended their hopes of a cup 'double'.

Last Saturday's 4-0 reverse at Weymouth has now made it unlikely that City will finish third in the Dr Martens League Premier Division. Weymouth are now third, ahead of City on goal difference but with three games in hand.

The important thing for City now is not to let a temporary blip turn into a damaging slide. They hoped to get back to form against Welling United today, ahead of Tuesday's Dr Martens Cup semi-final at home to Newport County when they bid to reach the final for the first time in 41 years.

Manager John Barton said: "We have been saying for a while now that the season goes until May 5. It is no good coming to the first week in April, doing better than expected in the league and in two cup semi-finals, and thinking you've done the job - it is where you finish up that counts. The club's commitment to the players goes up to the first week in May.

"It is up to us to make sure that the season doesn't peter out."

It has been a trend of City's in recent years to fade in the latter stages of a season. Last year they took only one point from their last four games although they still stayed up, in 1997-98 they bizarrely drew all of their last seven matches, in 1996-97 they won one of their last six and the year before that it was one of their last five.

Strangely, only during Graham Allner's brief spell at the club did they finish in any sort of style, with six wins in their last eight games.

A similar run this time and City will be happy, although fixture congestion - which was reduced by their Senior Cup exit - could be a handicap.

City stage their annual meeting at the club tomorrow (11.30am), at which the club's accounts for the last two years will be discussed.