KENDAL Town manager Steve Edmondson is not putting any pressure on his young side to deliver points over the festive period despite an extremely tough-looking run of fixtures in January.

Town have three games in the space of seven days, with 12th-placed AFC Fylde on the menu on Boxing Day, a trip to fellow strugglers Frickley Athletic on Saturday and the mid-table and inconsistent Chorley at Parkside Road on New Year’s Day.

And although Town face sides that are first, second and third in the Evo-Stik Premier Division in January, Edmondson said he would not be setting any targets for points for his players to achieve over the next week.

“I’ve not set any points target for us over Christmas - all we’re interested in is giving a good account of ourselves. Hopefully if we can nick a goal here or there we might be able to pick up one or two points on the way but we know it’s going to take a few weeks to get the squad settled.

“January is going to be a bit of a baptism of fire for us but we go into those games with nothing to lose and I’d rather play sides like that now than in the run-in to the season.”

He added that he was disappointed that the weather intervened with Town’s home match against Rushall Olympic last Saturday, a side that have won just one match since September.

The game signalled the new manager’s first home game in charge of the Black and Whites, and it means that the Parkside road outfit now have six league matches to re-arrange in the new year.

“I was disappointed that the game was called off because I thought we were in with a decent opportunity against Rushall.

“There would have been a good crowd with there being no local football on but that’s the way it goes sometimes and now they’ll have to travel up on a Tuesday night, which I’m sure they won’t fancy doing.

“At some point we’re probably going to have three games a week but with the players based locally now they won’t have too far to travel.”

Stuart McDonald is the latest capture for the Mintcakes. The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder has had a six-month layoff with injury but he is coming back to full fitness and has been signed on for the club.