TASKMASTER Tim Harris insists Worcester City have some way to go to meet his exacting standards despite waltzing past one of the region’s most fancied sides.

Goals from Luke English, Chris Sterling, Archie Muirhead (2) and Dan Westwood saw City come back from behind to leap over a two-tier gap and topple Southern League Premier Central heavyweights Stourbridge 5-2.

The Glassboys have recruited a host of big names, including some from National League clubs, over the summer but Harris’s charges played with zest and energy, forcing mistakes and pouncing on them and had a penalty saved.

Rival gaffer Mark Yates called his side’s show “embarrassing”.

READ MORE: Stourbridge boss laments "embarrassing" display at City

READ MORE: Player reaction, report and live feed - City 5 Stourbridge 2

It was City’s fifth win from six friendlies but Harris played down any hype ahead of his first season in charge and was quick to earmark areas for improvement.

“Pre-season is all about the build up and progression,” he said.

“We are progressing nicely as a side and getting a nice work ethic out of the boys, we scored some really good goals and that is really pleasing from my point of view.

“We are going in the right direction but I genuinely feel it is going to take us longer than I first thought to get where we need to.

“We are not getting carried away, the first game of the season is the one that is important and it is about consistency week in week out, putting in the performances we saw against Stourbridge.

“The pleasing thing was we had a reasonably large crowd in and we showed them what Worcester City is all about.”

Asked which areas he felt needed addressing, Harris replied: “The structure, there were one or two situations that alarmed me and they can only be ironed out on the training ground.

“With the Tamworth friendly being called off (next Saturday) – and we have deliberately not arranged another one – it gives us Monday, Thursday and Saturday to get in three training sessions to work on our shape.

“We want to make sure everyone in the squad knows their roles and responsibilities. At the moment they don’t quite know where to be when the ball is on the other side of the pitch, when to move up.

“It is that fine tuning, it will take a while to perfect it but if they work as hard as they have today then no one will be disappointed.”

Most of City’s team is signed up now but another who has “definitely” played his way into Harris’s plans is striker Chris Sterling.

“It is all about attitudes and when you see him, he scored against Stourbridge and got two against Briton Ferry – he might have had a hat-trick there,” added Harris.

“He has lost some weight and is showing a great desire. That is what my sides are all about, you have to fight for every single ball and Sterlo has done really well. I have been very pleased with him.”

Meanwhile, the boss is unfazed by the news City’s season will kick off a day later than scheduled and at a different venue.

The campaign begins with an away FA Cup extra preliminary round tie against Coventry United and due to the Butts Park Arena being unavailable, it will now take place at Daventry Town on Sunday, August 8 (2pm).

“It is what it is, I am pretty relaxed about things like that,” said Harris.

“We have to play them and we will go there when we have to. I am not bothered about it.”