ANDY Preece accepts that Worcester City are embroiled in a Nationwide North relegation dogfight.

With almost half of their league fixtures remaining, Worcester sit three points off the drop-zone having won just four league games all season.

City's depressing campaign looked to have taken a positive step after a 2-0 win over Kettering at St George's Lane, but they followed up by losing 1-0 at Vauxhall Motors on Tuesday night.

Defeat in south Wirral was made all the worse given the Motormen's similar low position and that poor finishing was again the chief cause of Worcester's downfall.

It was their eighth league defeat of the campaign and player-manager Preece admits his side face a battle for survival if they fail to mount a good run of form.

"We are down there, there's no getting away from that," said Preece.

"At the moment, we are involved in a battle because of our results. We've not picked up enough points.

"And if we keep being the better team in games, but still end up losing as we did at Vauxhall, then we are going to be in trouble.

"But I know things can change quickly.

"If we get two wins, then Worksop and Gainsborough will also be involved in a battle -- and they have played three or four more games than us."

Preece was left fuming as he counted five gilt-edged opportunities that went begging in the first-half at Rivacre Road.

Although he summed up the loss at Motors as 'the same old story', referring to a catalogue of missed chances that has cost Worcester in previous games, Preece refuses to apportion blame on strikers Leon Kelly and Adam Webster.

Preece added: "They have not got the amount of goals they would like, but it's a team thing.

"I cannot lay the blame at Leon and Webby. I'm not going to do that.

"There's other people involved, including myself. I've played this season and not scored a goal. There's players in other positions that have had opportunities but not taken them."