PHIL Wilson is hoping his star goalkeeper Jamie Speare will stay with Lancaster City but admits the ball in very much in the Liverpudlian's court.

Star man Speare is top of Southport's wanted list as they chase a return to the Nationwide Conference.

And while Wilson wants to keep his man, he realises there is little more he can do.

"We have made Jamie an offer to stay but I think he quite fancies the idea of Conference football again," says Wilson of the former Accrington Stanley man.

"It might be that he goes or it might be that he stays and signs a new contract with us.

"It's in the lap of the gods at the moment but hopefully he will be with us on Saturday."

Saturday sees the Dolly Blues travel to Southport where they need to get back to their best after gifting Worcester a win on Tuesday night.

City lost 2-0 but Paul Sparrow's defensive error effectively ended the contest and Wilson adds: "The one mistake cost us the game. It was always going to be tight and we lost it because we made a very, very poor error and then conceded again when we tried to chase it.

"But that's football, sometimes you get punished but that's behind us now.

"We are a bit like that and as a team we are a bit inconsistent but it's just like us to go and win at Southport on Saturday."