MARCH Town United boss Brett Whaley has claimed that the disrupted fixture list could prove crucial in the Ridgeons First Division promotion battle.

The Hares, who sit third, have played three more games than fourth-placed Thetford Town and two more than leaders Godmanchester Rovers.

If the wintry weather persists March’s rivals could face a fixture backlog – and Whaley has challenged his troops to stay focused and take advantage.

“We need to handle this little spell,” he said. “If the bad weather continues for two weeks, all of a sudden the season becomes a two-month race with a lot of games packed in.

“You can get momentum but tiredness can also creep in. It will be about who can handle that the best.

“We’ve only played two consecutive Saturdays once in the last couple of months and that is really tough because our best run of form came when we were playing every week.

“The silver lining is that the other teams will now have to play a lot of midweek games.”

March’s Ridgeons First Division Knockout Cup quarter-final clash with Thetford was postponed on Saturday. It will now be played on Tuesday (February 14).

The Hares host Team Bury on Saturday.