Worcester City: Chris Cornes reacts to 3-0 defeat at Evesham United

City were the better team in the first-half and should have had a penalty moments before The Robins took the lead against the run of play via Levi Steele's header. 

Despite conceding, City played some good football and looked comfortable in possession against a side a league above. 

Cornes admitted at full-time that the starting eleven was something close to what will be lining up next Tuesday at Claines Lane in the Hellenic League Premier opener with Tuffley Rovers. 

"Somewhere near I would say, I still have one or two missing. I am not a million miles away but nothing is set in stone," he said.

"There are lads that needed minutes tonight (Tuesday) and some that have been away on holiday and that is something to consider. I don't think we are far off but probably a couple that could come back and come into the starting side."

This is how Worcester City lined-up on Tuesday in the first-half at Evesham United (Image: Newsquest)

Cornes did make changes at half-time and throughout the second period and the game slipped away from them in what turned out to be a scrappy second-half performance. 

The manager suggested that a number of players played themselves out of contention after disappointing displays once being brought on. 

"We made a lot of changes at half-time and then as the half wore on, which made it a bit of a damp squib in that second period but the goals weren't great, let's be honest," said Cornes.

"Did some of those who came on convince me that should be in the squad? No, some of them didn't and I have been honest with some of those after the game and they know what they have to do form here. 

"But we played a good side today who were one win away from going up last season, so you are not going to come over here and turn them over easily.

"Will we play anyone as good as this in the season coming up? Maybe once or twice but we have to deal with that better and take what we have learned forward into the league."

Chris Cornes believes he is close to deciding his starting eleven ahead of next week's league opener with Tuffley (Image: Through The Lens)

Cornes was very open in his view that he does not like pre-season friendlies and he is now looking forward to the real stuff getting underway next week.

"I have said before that not many of us managers like pre-season," he added.

"You can win all your games and then be relegation material, so pre-season is all about minutes but the results are not the be-all and end-all.

"People have to remember, we were relegation fodder last season and we have ripped the bones out of the team and brought in 12/13 new players and we have had such a small window to get this team to gel.

"We should be judged from next Tuesday onwards and I'd like to think come Tuesday, we should be there ready to go."