WORCESTER City will not let the club’s perilous financial position distract them from their bid to succeed in the FA Trophy.

Grays Athletic visit St George’s Lane for a first round clash tomorrow (3pm) with £5,000 and a place in the last 32 of non-league football’s premier cup competition on the line.

City have already banked £4,000 after defeating Burnham 2-1 in the previous rou-nd last month and earned £4,500 in prize money from beating Bourne Town in their sole FA Cup victory.

Tomorrow’s match against the Blue Square Premier strugglers is one of two fixtures — the other being the Boxing Day visit of Newport County — highlighted by chairman Anthony Hampson as vital in the club’s bid for survival.

City owe around £1.5 million to the Royal Bank of Scotland but have been given a stay of execution until Careys New Homes’ planning application to build on the Lane has been heard.

That puts extra pressure on Dryden’s troops but he insists that is not in the thoughts of either him or his players.

“Everybody and his dog knows what’s going on at the club and how vital it is to get money in, whether it’s through the gate or off the pitch,” the manager said.

“But we are focused on getting through and then we can sort the money out afterwards.

“That’s what the directors are there for and hopefully we can put a smile on their faces.

“We were disappointed to go out of the FA Cup against AFC Telford but we are still in the county cup and the longer we can stay in the Trophy the better it is for the club.”

Dryden is also hoping for a vociferous crowd to cheer his team on against Julian Dicks’ Essex strugglers.

Although only 377 turned up for the third qualifying round triumph over Burnham, City have won three games on home soil in cup competitions and attracted 1,062 for the FA Cup replay against AFC Telford United in October.

The Worcester boss said: “You always want a big crowd, whether we get it or not is another thing.

“Christmas is coming and money is tight but it would be nice to get a good crowd because they have been good to us win, lose or draw this season.”