Workington Reds manager Danny Grainger hopes his players will return to training this week recharged after a free weekend following the postponement of their home game against Runcorn Linnets.

Grainger admitted it was a source of frustration that his players were not able to carry the momentum from their win last Tuesday night against Droylsden into the league, with Saturday’s game called off the night before due to an issue with the ground safety certificate.

But the Reds boss is looking on the bright side and hopes the unexpected opportunity to enjoy some extra rest and relaxation will have set his players up well for a full week of preparation for their FA Trophy first round qualifying game at Brighouse this weekend.

“With the run that we’ve been on, we want as many games as possible so there was a real disappointment that the game was called off at the weekend,” he said.

“It gives us a full week to prepare for Brighouse because we thought about training on Saturday but, in the end, we gave the lads the day off. I think it was a good time for them to get a bit of a rest and recharge their batteries. Mentally, it was good for them to have a break away from football and, hopefully, they’ll come back ready to prepare for what is a big game for us.”

Reds’ board of directors were due to speak to Cumbria County Council yesterday in a bid to resolve the issue which led to Saturday’s postponement before they are next due to play at Borough Park against Tadcaster Albion on November 2.

A statement was issued from the board after the decision was taken to postpone the match.

It read: “The club has already spoken to a number of senior representatives from Cumbria County Council to put forward our position, and we intend to make formal representations on Monday in order to resolve the matter.

“As supporters and shareholders will already be aware, significant work was undertaken over the summer to prepare Borough Park for the new season, in challenging circumstances. We have had many positive comments since, stating that the ground is in better shape than it has in many years.”

They pledged to update supporters as soon as possible.