Stanley manager James Beattie won’t have any hesitation to look to his squad for tomorrow’s game with Southend United if he feels the Reds need freshening up.

The clash with the Shrimpers is a third in seven days for Beattie’s side and he’s acutely aware of the burden on his players.

“We’re in the middle of the busiest period of the year and it’s all about making sure that the boys are okay physically, keeping them refuelled and making sure they are ready to go come three o’clock,” he said.

“I looked at the bench the other day and thought that we have got a good squad. I know the numbers have been reduced so we have fewer players to choose from but the quality is definitely there. The players who are on the bench and out of the side at the moment will probably be involved during this busy period of games. Their attitude is first class and I can’t ask for anything more from them. They are still pushing themselves so that when they are called upon they are in the best condition to go and put a performance in.”

The Reds are unbeaten in the Christmas period so far after beating Mansfield and drawing 1-1 with York and Beattie believes that his team are starting to show what they are capable of.

“Something that we’ve built up as a team and a squad and as a club is resilience,” he explained. “We keep fighting to the end. I think the boys are looking really fit at the moment and we’re finishing games strongly. That’s something we’re very pleased with.

“The football that they are playing and the results that they are getting are going in the right direction too and I think that we could have had more points over this period. I think if you’d said we’d have four points after the first two games of the Christmas period many would have settled for that but the fact that we’re speaking about being disappointed at that return shows how we are trying to change the mindset to make this a winning club rather than one that is happy with being average.”