Guiseley are sure to be in good spirits for their longest journey for a league match on Saturday when they travel south to take on Bishop's Stortford in the Blue Square Bet North.

Having won the manager of the month award for December, Lions boss Steve Kittrick has secured longer-term deals for two strikers at the club.

Kittrick has been in discussions with on-loan Chris Senior and his parent club Alfreton Town and has thrashed out a deal to keep the former Darlington player for the rest of the season.

Gavin Rothery has also signed an extension to his contract which means the striker, who has fired in a dozen goals this term, is now tied to Nethermoor until May 2013.

It means an ideal start to 2012 for the Lions, who completed last month with a 100 per cent record of five wins in five matches to see Kittrick scoop the manager’s accolade.

Saturday's Hertfordshire opponents escaped relegation from the South division under the stewardship of Ian Walker last season but were placed in the North section when the leagues were reconstructed in the close season.

Bishop's have swapped one relegation battle for another as they struggle in 19th place, which has led to the former Spurs and England keeper departing by mutual consent.

Despite facing the frustration of a postponement on New Year’s Day, when Guisley should have hosted neighbours Harrogate Town, it was still a good holiday period for the third-placed Lions.

Leaders Hyde FC and second-placed Stalybridge Celtic played each other twice and the upshot is that Kittrick’s men are now just four points adrift of second-placed Stalybridge with two games in hand.

However, Guiseley will need to win games against lower-placed sides such as Bishop's if they are to make inroads into Hyde’s lead.

The Cheshire outfit have a 15-point cushion on Guiseley but the Nethermoor outfit have four games in hand.