Bradford Park Avenue boss Dave Cameron is welcoming this weekend’s rare break and insists his squad will be in better shape by the time they play their next UniBond League Premier Division fixture.

Avenue had slipped behind many of their promotion rivals and exited both FA knockout competitions in an indifferent spell.

A snatched victory on Monday night put them back in the play-off places and was the perfect tonic going into a 12-day lay-off.

The win came courtesy of last-gasp goals from Rory Patterson and Chris Hall but those strikes did not pull the wool over Cameron’s eyes.

He said: "The two lads got a goal each but they are both going through a poor spell - they have missed a lot of chances lately.

"All the squad needs a bit of extra work in training and this gap in the fixtures will give us time to get things right.

"It will be like a mini pre-season - this week and a half we are going to run the backsides off the players.

"We had two tough sessions last week, there will be another tomorrow because we have no game and then Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

"Patterson and Hall will be going to the gym as well as the training session today. We are going to toughen them up, make beasties out of them.

"They are good players but they need to be leaner and meaner. Then the goals will come.

"They have both had their injury worries, Rory more recently than Chris, but they have no problems at the moment.

"They can’t use coming back to fitness as an excuse. They are just lacking confidence at the moment but we will have them like coiled springs by next Saturday when we go up to Kendal Town."

Cameron will be at Kendal today, watching his next opponents crossing swords with Avenue’s nearest neighbours and promotion rivals Guiseley.

The focus on Patterson and Hall and the recent return from an operation of Mike Moseley could mean Stuart Rudd is currently out of favour.

Kendal are chasing the striker and Cameron has not publicly stated that he wants to keep Rudd.

Other changes are also being made to the squad on top of Cameron’s policy of looking closely at the young reserves.

Every week at least one of the promising reserve players is included in the first-team squad.

Andy Salm came in for his debut on Monday, while Chris Fisher and Craig Thompson have made substitute appearances.

Cameron signed two players recently and said: "Steve Bushell is a former Halifax Town and Blackpool player who has been training with Football League clubs but hasn’t been offered a contract.

"He is 35 and brings a wealth of experience with him - he is with us for a month and we will see what develops.

"Luke Holden has also joined us. He is a left winger who I know from TNS but was formerly with Tranmere Rovers and, most recently, Cammell Laird. He is a very good player - his technical ability is superb."