IT has been nearly nine months since Worcester City last won an away game.

Since winning 1-0 at the now-defunct Fisher Athletic on February 21, when Craig Wilding was on target, City have gone 15 league matches without success on their travels.

Eleven defeats and only four draws represents a rotten run manager Richard Dryden will be keen to end at fellow Blue Square South strugglers Dorchester Town on Saturday (3pm).

Just three points separate the teams and victory for City would see them leapfrog the side they hammered 4-0 at the Lane in September on goal difference.

Given Dryden’s side have already lost against two of the three teams below them on the road — Weymouth and Weston-super-Mare — the manager knows they can ill-afford another slip-up.

He will be buoyed by the fact three of City’s four away points in that sequence have come this season, including a 2-2 draw at Hampton and Richmond last month.

There is also comfort to be taken from their impressive away record at the start of the last campaign, which saw them lose just once in their first eight outings.

Dryden, whose side lost 3-1 at the Jewson Stadium back in January, said of the next away victory: “It’s got to come soon. I am not prepared to go up to Christmas not winning an away game.

“We haven’t performed well on our travels. Hampton and Richmond was probably our best display and we ground out a point at Bath.

“We had eight away wins in the league last season which was incredible really considering where we finished. Maybe we won’t get eight this season but have got to start picking them up soon.”

City head to Dorset looking to bounce back from three straight defeats against Eastleigh, Welling United and Chelmsford City.

Dryden said: “Eastleigh was disappointing but we have got to take heart from the performance against Hampton and Richmond.

“We are a little buoyed by the effort on Monday against Chelmsford but sometimes it would be nice to get a scrappy win rather than play well and not pick anything up.”

Striker Rob Elvins is expected to return to the team after missing the last three matches through suspension.

Louis Bridges is also in contention after playing in Tuesday’s 1-1 Central Conference draw for the reserves against Stafford Rangers, while left-back Shabir Khan plays his last game before linking up with Pakistan.

But captain Tom Kemp (rib) was not expected to train last night and midfielder Graham Ward is struggling after damaging his ankle against Stafford, a game in which left-sided player Alfie Carter hurt his back.

Dorchester, without former Worcester defender Ashley Vickers through a one-game ban, lost 2-1 to Eastleigh at home on Tuesday.

Dryden added: “They have picked up a bit and any team who can win 1-0 at Havant and Waterlooville can’t be bad.”