Dean Holdsworth says Stratford Town must prepare properly for the long journey to Leiston

STRATFORD Town make the arduous journey to Leiston this weekend and boss Dean Holdsworth has stressed it’s down to the players to make sure they’re physically and mentally prepared come kick-off.

The Bards, who faced a 135-mile trip for their FA Cup first qualifying round clash at Cleethorpes Town last time out, will clock up approximately another 175 miles this Saturday to get to their Southern Premier Central clash in Suffolk.

There’s no doubting these long trips can take their toll but Holdsworth – who saw his side run out 4-0 winners at Cleethorpes thanks to an Adam Rooney hat-trick and a thunderbolt from Dan Lafferty – stressed it’s the players’ responsibility to ensure they’re not still on the bus come 3pm.