Worcester City's Chris Cornes: 'We have Bridgnorth to deal with first'

City host Bridgnorth in the first qualifying round of the competition at Claines Lane, looking to bounce back from Tuesday's night last-minute defeat to Westfields FC in the Hellenic League Premier. 

It was the first defeat of the season for Cornes' men, who have the first-ever competitive Worcester Derby to play in five days time. 

But all attention is on Saturday for Cornes, before the big occasion next week.

"We have a big couple of weeks with plenty of fixtures in the Vase, league and FA Cup," said Cornes.

"Saturday is just another game for us. Bridgnorth will come here and want to beat us at home and that's fine but we need to rebound from Tuesday's defeat and go and put a show on and win the game."

The mood was unsurprisingly a glum one on Tuesday as 10-man Westfields struck in stoppage time to complete their comeback from 1-0 down to inflict a first defeat in all competitions on City this season.

Cornes is hoping for an instant response from his players on Saturday. 

"This is football, you have highs and lows so now we have to keep going," he added.

"Sometimes these defeats galvanize you a bit. It tests the character of the group when you lose because when things are well it's easy but you have these down moments, it is more difficult."

And the blue and white side of the city will not want to go into the derby on the back of another defeat.

"It (Worcester Derby) is going to be a massive game, of course it is and it will be big game for the city," said Cornes.

"Something I was coached in my career was that you have to play the game and not the occasion.

"And that is something we have talked about as a group with the Raiders game in mind, but not in great detail because we are nowhere near that game, we have Saturday to deal with before we think anything about that game.

"We are focused on Saturday for now and we want to win that game. Then we can turn our attention to Raiders."