ANDY Preece says Worcester City face their biggest test of the season so far when they visit Kettering Town on Boxing Day (3pm).

The match is the first of two Nationwide North festive meetings between the two sides with the sixth-placed Northamptonshire outfit travelling to St George's Lane on New Year's Day.

But player-boss Preece, whose side sit ninth in the standings and two points behind the Poppies, believes Tuesday's clash at Rockingham Road is as tough as it gets.

"It's a massive game," he said. "It's as big a game as there has been this season.

"It's a great test for us because I think they are one of the best teams in the league so it's going to test our credentials.

"It's one that we look forward to and it's going to push us to our limits."

City, fresh from their 5-2 FA Trophy triumph at Barrow, are enjoying a good run of form, having only lost once in their last nine games.

And Preece is confident the team is in tip-top shape to banish the disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Leigh RMI in their last Nationwide North fixture.

Preece said: "We are in good form ourselves. The Leigh game was a blip, but only in terms of the result and not the performance, so we probably couldn't be in better form."

The City manager is also taking heart from 12 months ago when Worcester took on a promotion-chasing Stafford Rangers side in the same slots on the calendar.

"We had the same last year," he said. "We played Stafford Rangers back-to-back when they were going well in the league, got two draws and could have won the games."

Adam Webster is challenging for a place in the squad after completing 90 minutes for the reserves in their 3-0 defeat at Nuneaton Borough last Thursday.

However, Dennis Pearce and Sam Wedgbury are doubts after picking up knocks against Barrow.

Pearce suffered a broken nose after being elbowed by Ryan Zico Black, for which the Barrow player was sent off after 26 minutes.

But the defender also sustained a thigh strain and was taken off at half-time.

Wedgbury was replaced during the interval at Holker Street too after a challenge left the Sheffield United academy teenager with a dead leg.

Preece, though, was able to throw Nick Colley and Tom Warmer on for the second-half from one of the strongest set of substitutes named this season.

The manager added: "We have got enough in the squad so that nobody's safe in their position."