CHAIRMAN Dave Boddy has hailed 2005/06 as a successful season on and off the pitch for Worcester City.

Before a ball was kicked last August, Boddy set three specific targets for the St George's Lane club -- to make a realistic Nationwide North play-off bid, to enjoy a decent FA Cup run and to improve the squad's quality.

For Boddy, all three boxes have been ticked, while the income generated from City's passage to the FA Cup tie with Huddersfield only added to the season's success.

After City concluded the campaign on a bright note -- comfortably beating Worksop Town 3-0 to finish eighth in the league standings -- Boddy predicted a more sustained promotion challenge next year.

"We've given it a go on the play-off front, the FA Cup run goes without saying and from a financial point of view, it's given us a lot of breathing space.

"The squad is definitely better than last season, with the players manager Andy Preece has br-ought in to the club.

"With a couple of additions in the summer, we should be challenging next season."

Boddy admits Preece has a bigger budget at his disposal this summer than in previous years, although he does not expect any sweeping transfer moves.

Boddy added: "Andy knows what the budget is. Obviously, I think players still have to go out for players to come in. But certainly, it's an improvement on last season's budget and it's about what he does in the summer.

"With the strikers and central defenders we've got at the club, I think we've just got to get the midfield area right.

"It's only a little bit of tinkering, but once that's right, I think we can have a real go next season."

Worcester's triumph at Worksop meant they took 28 points from 36 in their last 12 away fixtures.

Almost 100 vocal City supporters made the journey to Babbage Way and the vast majority standing behind Town's goal made their presence felt throughout.

Boddy took pleasure from the club's strong away record and also praised the supporters who followed City on the road this season.

He added: "Our away form since Christmas has been outstanding -- not just the results but the performances have been excellent. I just wish we could reproduce it at St George's Lane.

"There's a hardened bunch of supporters that travel to away games. There's about 60 or 70 of them and their support has been outstanding all season, not just in terms of numbers but in terms of vocal support. I would like to pay tribute to them.

"But it's only those 70 or so people that have been privy to the football that we've played. The football in the last six weeks away from home has been outstanding.

"The game at Stalybridge was easily our best league performance of the season, probably our best league performance for a few years."

n Worcester clinched the Wor-cestershire Senior Urn with a 2-0 victory over West Midlands Premier Division side Lye in the final at Kidderminster.

City, who included a string of first team players, scored through Dennis Pearce and Adam Webster.