WORCESTER City face their toughest test of the Nationwide North season to date when leaders Northwich Victoria arrive in the city tomorrow.

Unbeaten Vics boast a five-point cushion over Nuneaton Borough, who City entertain on Monday, at the top of the table and have won eight of their opening nine games.

Steve Burr's side were only relegated from the Conference last season after their ground failed to meet league criteria, having finished clear of the bottom three despite being deducted 10 points.

Given those facts, City player-manager Andy Preece is under no illusions as to how tough Northwich will be.

He said: "On paper it's a tough game. They have shown what a good team they were last year in the Conference.

"To be able to defy a 10-point penalty and finish just above the relegation zone shows they were a decent team but they ended up getting relegated.

"They have kept all their players and added one or two as well so it's no surprise they are at the top. It's going to be a test for us. We have a chance of beating them but nobody has managed it yet."

However, City are currently enjoying something of a change in fortune and are on the brink of the FA Cup first round proper.

Despite having a lengthy injury list and sitting one place above the relegation zone, they have gone four games unbeaten, while the defence and goalkeeper Danny McDonnell have kept clean sheets in the last three.

They may only have won one league game to date but Preece believes his side's current league position is not a true reflection of their ability, and he thinks Northwich will be aware of that.

"We are in the middle of a good run ourselves," he said. "We are four unbeaten -- two of those were cup games which we've won and two were league games we drew away from home.

"We are coming into a little bit of form, but our league position is a nightmare for us and it's still the key thing. Because once we go out of the cup, people are going to stop looking at the cup. They are looking at the league, so we have to sort that out.

"I know we are going to finish above where we are at the minute. But the important thing is that we do it early. I'm not giving up on this season because with a couple of good results, we'll be back in the mix.

"People are probably looking at the next two games and thinking they are nightmare games, but I look at them as two great games.

"They are first and second. They are games that we've got nothing to lose and they have. But I think they will be aware that we are better than the position that we are in. They will show us full respect."

Having said that, City are still faced with the prospect of tackling the runaway leaders with a depleted squad.

Midfielder Liam McDonald is the latest player to be admitted to the St George's Lane treatment room, joining Les Hines, Jai Stanley, Nick Colley, Jamie Smith and George Clegg.

McDonald is a major doubt for the match, having hobbled off during the 3-0 win against Tonbridge Angels last week, and could be replaced by teenager Sam Wedgbury.