THE best part of nine years have passed since Worcester City enjoyed one of their greatest FA Cup moments.

It was December 2005 when City's second round proper defeat to Huddersfield Town at St George's Lane was beamed into homes and pubs across the land on national television.

Quite rightly, the match belongs in Worcester folklore and fans should reminisce about the time the Match of the Day cameras came to town.

But, as each year goes by, that memory becomes increasingly distant, even more so now that the stage it graced is no longer there.

Although it has been less than a decade, that day almost seems from a different era.

Try as they have, the Blue and Whites have been unable to replicate that epic run into the main competition.

They have come close, none more so than the year after the Huddersfield clash when they lost in a final qualifying round replay on penalties, and in each of the last two seasons when they have fallen at the final hurdle.

Yet, as they prepare to make it third time lucky when they embark on this season's campaign with the second qualifying round against Rugby Town at Aggborough on Saturday, it continues to elude them.

What City would give for such a run again, and not just for the prestige. The money on offer in the FA Cup is a well-documented lifeblood of non-league clubs and can make a huge impact.

But, with Worcester's continued exile at Aggborough, it would not be an understatement to suggest a cup run is more important to them at moment than it has ever been.

Although they are far from destitute, balancing the books is becoming tougher with every year they are away from their home city, where it wasn't exactly easy.

With £4,500 on offer for beating Rugby, and a further £7,500 and £12,500 in the rounds after that, the rewards are there for all to see. Chairman Anthony Hampson will certainly have taken note.

It could mean the difference between keeping Carl Heeley's current squad together, in a bid to maintain a good position in Vanarama Conference North, or strengthening it as the season progresses.

More importantly, a cup run could pay the rent at Aggborough for the rest of the campaign without the need to dip into the coffers, which have suffered in recent times due to the loss of lucrative sponsorship from Careys New Homes.

When put like that, the significance becomes even more apparent.

While Heeley will be keen to shield his players from such pressures, and let them play with the freedom they have for much of the season so far, the value of victory can't be ignored.

City may not reach the Huddersfield heights of 2005 but they will still want to make this campaign memorable.