DARREN EDMONDSON can finally draw breath after Bradford Park Avenue's campaign ended with a punishing fixture schedule.

The club faced ten games in a manic 30-day spell and, when they started that run with a narrow defeat at champions Solihull Moors, they were still looking over their shoulders at the drop zone.

But they ended the season with their National League North status intact and the West Riding County Cup successfully defended, although manager Edmondson admitted it had been a difficult time.

He said: “It was a bit silly towards the end and a strange scenario as there was just one training session in the time that I’ve been here.

“The games were coming at the rate of one every three days so it was relentless. It was game after game so there was very little recovery time and no chance to fit training in.

“A lot happened in the five weeks between me going in and the season ending. It was far from ideal and we had a lot of injuries and illness to deal with and a few funerals as some of the squad lost members of their family.

“It was really full on as every day there was something else to come to terms with and work through.”

Edmondson, who took over from Martin Drury back in March for the remainder of the season, feels the club will be stronger for that testing last month, regardless of who is in charge.

The club is yet to make a decision on the appointment of a permanent boss but Edmondson must have given the Bradford board plenty of food for thought.

He said: “What all of those games in a short period has done is allow me and Alex (Meechan, assistant manager) and Terry Dolan, who is here to take the club forward no matter what, plenty of time to analyse and assess the players.

“Whatever the board decides about the future, the last few weeks has been a useful project for the club. I’m not concerned about myself in the short term. It isn’t about me.

“But I’m glad that the players have at least brought some pride back for the fans and some enjoyment after they had watched some negative football earlier in the season.”