MARKSMAN Adam Webster reckons there's a major obstacle stopping him repeating last season's prolific feats -- actually getting his name on the team-sheet.

The modest 25-year-old is taking nothing for granted and believes Worcester City's fellow forwards are desperate to lead the line.

But after lashing 22 Nationwide North goals for City in an incredible last term, staking a starting place should not prove too much trouble for Webster.

Player-manager Andy Preece, one of four strikers on the club's books, regards Webster and Leon Kelly as his hot-shot strike partnership and both will carry the can to fire Worcester to promotion glory.

The pressure will be on the Leicestershire-based forward to maintain his 20-goals-a-season record, but he's not fazed by the weight of expectation.

"There's four good strikers at the club," explains Webster. "As a striker, I want to score goals, but I've got to get into the starting line-up first.

"Everybody is looking sharp in training and in pre-season matches, so it's good healthy competition for all of the players.

"I've set myself standards for next season and I've got to keep meeting them and, hopefully, better them.

"My target is no worse than last year. I want to give it my best shot.

"There are expectations of me, but from myself more than anything. You set yourself standards and you want to keep maintaining them and improving on them, regardless of family, friends, team-mates, the fans, the club and so on.

"They are all expecting of me and want me to do well again. The main thing is that I score goals again. But if I don't, then somebody else will come in and do the job."

Webster's strike-rate was all the more impressive as he played through the majority of last season with a perplexing and troublesome ankle injury.

But treatment and a much-needed summer break has proved just the tonic for the ex-Bedworth United man as he enters the new season in better shape than ever, while Worcester's fitness-based pre-season programme has also kept the squad in tip-top condition.

Webster said: "The ankle is fine now. It's not going to be a problem, whereas before it was niggling away. I had a little rest over the summer for a few weeks and then did some work on it.

"Since last season, the lads have all kept in pretty good trim and pre-season has been hard but fair.

"I've seen quite a lot of the ball in training, which is good. The gaffer said if we maintained our fitness over the summer, he would not be so hard when we come back and he stuck to his word!"

With the season's curtain-raiser at Kettering Town just a fortnight away, Webster is confident that Worcester can kick-start the new campaign in style.

He is equally ambitious to help the St George's Lane club achieve their top aspiration and gain promotion to the Conference.

"I've always said, wherever I've been at, you aim to finish number one until that is mathematically impossible," added Webster.

"Then it is number two and so on. We are aiming to get promoted, but so is every other team. It's down to the players to do that.

"We've got the right people to do it. It's a matter of doing it in games and having our heads screwed on."