PHIL Parkinson will resist the temptation to use City’s first free midweek of the season to flog his players on the training ground.

Parkinson, who felt Saturday’s chastening home loss to Yeovil was “a game too far” after a hectic first month, gave the squad an extra day off yesterday.

They are back to Apperley Bridge this morning and the City boss plans to pace the week carefully as he builds up towards another home game against Swindon.

He said: “We have to be sensible with the players this week. The worst thing I could do now is have a reaction and train the lads morning and afternoon every day.

“It’s at the stage of the season when we do need a breather. This week gives us the first chance we’ve had to regroup and we’ll do that.

“We’ll come out fighting for the next home game.”

City looked surprisingly pedestrian against Yeovil – their ninth game in the opening four weeks of the campaign. Up to then, Parkinson had been happy with the way his rebuilt side had settled in.

He said: “Physically we’ve looked strong and that’s been really good to see.

“Obviously we know how Darbs (Stephen Darby) and (Rory) McArdle and players we’ve had for a few years are going to react to back-to-back games.

“But with the new lads like Lidds (Gary Liddle), Billy Knott and Billy Clarke you’re never quite sure. But we’ve looked strong.

“The Rochdale game was the best indicator of that you could possibly have. It was a great tribute to the lads to basically outrun and outplay them in the second half after playing Leeds on the Wednesday.”