EVER since defeat at Moor Green last month, Worcester City's play-off hopes have been hanging by a thread.

That 3-1 loss at Damson Park cut Andy Preece's side six points adrift of the top five with just seven games remaining.

Despite then beating Barrow, City's chances further evaporated with back-to-back draws.

I have written them off on at least two occasions and even the club seems to have accepted they will fall short given the timing of the departues of Andy Morrison and Justin Thompson.

Yet, with just two games to go, there are still supporters clinging to the belief that City will defy the odds and make the play-offs.

Worcester bookmakers Rainbow Racing, based in Astwood Road, offer City at 66-1 reaching the end of season shoot-out and 100-1 winning promotion as a result.

Scenarios of what needs to happen for Preece's men to secure fifth place are complex but, unlikely as it may sound, the seemingly impossible is still on. Whether you choose to believe it is another matter.

The first part of the equation is simple - City must win their last two games of the season at home to Hucknall Town on Saturday and at Harrogate Town the following weekend.

Then it starts to get complicated. Assuming City follow up victories against Alfreton and Worksop with six more points, they will be relying heavily on others to help them out.

However, the fact Worcester can still even entertain the remotest possibility of success is down to results going City's way.

Victories in their final two games would put City on 65 points and leave them hoping Harrogate, Hinckley United, Hyde United, Farsley Celtic and Blyth Spartans fail to reach that total from their remaining matches. Hinckley, though, are already on 63 points and still have four games left, including one against basement boys Lancaster City.

That means Harrogate become the team City have any realistic hope of catching.

With 64 points already on the board, and a superior goal difference, the Yorkshiremen need to lose their last two games against current leaders Droylsden and Worcester.

Hyde, on 62 points and again with a better goal difference, would need to draw or lose their remaining double against Hinckley and Droylsden.

Farsley, also on 62 but with an extra game to play, would have to fail to beat Worksop, Workington and Redditch.

Blyth also come into the mix but, with an inferior goal difference to City, would need to win their last three to threaten - simple.

One factor in City's favour is that some of the teams around them, including title-chasing Droylsden, still have to play each other and can therefore take points off each other.

Everyone knows it is a long-shot but no-one can accuse City of not giving their fans something to dream of at this late stage of the season.

However, anyone willing to take a punt on it becoming a reality is a braver man than me.

Let the fun begin.