Craig Rouse believes break in action has done Worksop Town good

The Tigers were struggling with several injuries, forcing manager Craig Parry to play a few players out of position due to a depleted squad.

And Rouse has hailed Worksop’s quality in depth going into the restart of the league.

“You look through the side and you have got players back in there and we have carried a lot of injuries,” said Rouse.

“We have had the month off and it has allowed us to get a settled side and get players back from injury and play players where they want to play.

“You want problems where you are looking through and deciding who you are going to pick and not sort of scrapping around for players and putting them in certain positions.

“There were certain times earlier on in the season where we were taking 14-man squads to places and today we have had 18 players and 19 last Saturday, so you want those sorts of problems and you want the depth.

“We feel that we now have quality all over the pitch and various quality and good competition for places.

“We want everybody to step up and fight for their shirts and if they do that, then you have good and healthy competition and you can produce results with that.”

Worksop have netted eight goals in each of their last two friendlies against Worsbrough Bridge Athletic and Clipstone at Sandy Lane in preparation for when the league campaign resumes on Boxing Day.

Rouse heaped the praise on the squad, who he says haven’t dropped their standards over the past 180 minutes.

He continued: “The pleasing thing is that we have controlled the game more than anything and we have played well, and we have kept the ball well.

“We haven’t dropped our standards through each half in each game; it’s easy when you go in at half-time in both games at four or five-nil and to drop your standards and not do the right thing in the second half.

“We have made seven or eight subs in both games and the players have gone on and have carried the same message and intensity.”