WORCESTER City chairman Dave Boddy says the club will struggle to survive if they continue to record poor attendance like the one against Vauxhall Motors this week.

Only 574 turned out for Monday's 1-0 victory in Blue Square North - the lowest league gate at St George's Lane for more than eight years.

Boddy said: "Monday's attendance disappointed me. It's difficult to survive with the sort of gates that we budgeted for but regular crowds like that one will crucify us."

The attendance was 300 lower than Worcester's average of 870 this season and 400 below what the club has budgeted for over the current campaign.

Boddy was disappointed with the crowd but admitted that continued low numbers for the remaining four home league matches will hit the club hard.

He said: "That's the lowest league attendance since November 13, 1999, when we played Rothwell Town in the Southern Premier League in John Barton's first game in charge.

"We were head-to-head at 3pm with an England international and we got 524.

"If it continues we will seriously struggle.

"We are budgeting for nearly 100 people more than the 870 average to come and watch us anyway so we are down dramatically and we can't afford to be having too many gates like that."

Chris Smith's third-minute goal proved enough to see off the Motormen in a match City dominated from start to finish on Monday.

Boddy thought the weather and the 3-1 defeat at Hyde last Saturday were major factors in the low gate and he is hoping the numbers will pick up when Burscough visit St George's Lane on Saturday.

The Worcester chairman said: "With respect to Vauxhall, I don't think they are the most attractive of opposition, it was a cold night and we lost on Saturday.

"But there's still a lot to play for in terms of players' contracts this season.

"I would hope that gate won't be the norm. The fans who stayed away missed a treat, we passed the ball well at pace and looked a decent side.

"When we have got home games they need to be supported. At the very least on Saturday we need to be attracting the average 870. If it's back in the 500-600 category we will have to have a look at what we do between now and the end of the season."

City's 870 average home gate is the seventh highest in Blue Square North. AFC Telford lead the way with 2,050, while Leigh RMI's 198 is the worst.