AS a player for the likes of Bradford City and, as a manager, Danny Forrest is used to game after game over Christmas.

But this year, as Silsden boss, he can look forward to a little bit more time off from the pressures of life in the dugout.

The Cobbydalers don't have the traditional relentless festive fixture list to contend with, instead having only four games left during December.

They are also rested and recharged ahead of Saturday's visit to Bottesford Town in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division after their last two Saturday games have been postponed due to a mixture of waterlogged and frozen pitches.

Saturday's clash will be followed by three games on successive Saturdays. On December 14, Silsden will host Athersley Recreation. Silsden will then have two successive away games; at Thackley on December 21 then a trip to Hemsworth Miners Welfare

on December 28.

Silsden also have plenty of recuperation time over New Year as their next game will be at home to Barton Town on Saturday, January 11, 2020.

Silsden, who are 12th in the table, are unbeaten in their last six league and cup games, which included a 3-2 victory at Bridlington Town in the League Cup last week. This followed a horror run of seven successive league defeats earlier in the autumn.

Forrest said: "Any manager will tell you that it's frustrating that we haven't been able to play for two Saturdays in a row now. But we will have to deal with it.

"For us that's the only positive we've been able to take away from it, that our players can rest, but I don't look at it like that. We have been on a good run.

"Bridlington was a good result in midweek in the League Cup. We are up for it now. Maybe it has allowed people to rest up and get prepared and it takes a bit of the pressure off us.

"This is the quietest Christmas as a player or manager I have ever had. There is no game on Boxing Day for us.

"We've got four games in December and we've just got to do what we can. Hopefully we will get a bit of rhythm going. We will prepare as we normally would.

"It will still be a tough month. We have three away games during December. Things carry on as normal. There are things we have to adjust to.

"It can be a pretty hectic period. Over in this league there is an understanding that players and coaches have other commitments and need family time.

"We will deal with whatever comes our way. It will still be a bit of a big month for us. We will be going about it the right way."

Forrest has also reflected on the season so far at Silsden, saying there is room for improvement. He says he will have a better understanding of what lies ahead for his side during the second half of the season following their fixtures programme during December.

He added: "We started off really well. Then we had a poor run that was well documented. A good result at the end of that poor run was a long time coming. But we still played some really good football during that bad run. We were unfortunate to lose some of those games.

"It has seemed to come together for us since. We seem to be back on it. There is a good atmosphere around the group.

"Come the end of December, or the middle of January, we will have a better understanding of where we and I'm pleased with how we have recovered from our poor run."