WORCESTER City manager Andy Preece admits his strikers are feeling the tension in front of goal.

A chronic lack of goals have been chiefly responsible for the St George's Lane club's miserable start to the Nationwide North campaign.

Worcester lie in the relegation zone after scoring just eight times in their opening 11 league matches.

Compounding the problem, it is the club's forwards that are suffering the most.

Adam Webster, who struck 22 league goals last term, has netted just twice in the league this season, while his main strike partner Leon Kelly is yet to open his account.

Furthermore, veteran Preece and summer signing Jimmi-Lee Jones are still to break their duck, as Worcester suffer a poor ratio of converting chances into goals.

Preece said his forwards need to start delivering, but he refused to criticise their all-round effort.

"The strikers have got to keep getting in the right positions," said Preece. "If they keep getting in there and being in the right place to miss chances, then I haven't got a problem.

"If they stop getting in there or they are shirking it or not trying to get on the end of things, then we have a problem. But they are not shirking it.

"They just need a bit more composure. Maybe on occasions, it can be nerves as well. It's a tough position to play. As a striker, you are always under the spotlight and we have to stand up and deliver."

Preece predicts goals will soon come and, but for one or two matches this season, insists City are creating plenty of clear-cut opportunities.

He added: "There's been a couple of games where we've struggled to create anything. At Lancaster, we didn't create too much and in the second-half against Moor Green, we created nothing.

"But by and large, we are creating a lot of good opportunities. We did that in the last two games against top teams."