PEWSEY Vale manager Steve Wootton hopes his players will be refreshed and not rusty when they return to action after an enforced two-week break.

Last Saturday's trip to fellow strugglers Gloucester United was called off at 12.30pm because of a waterlogged pitch. Vale's fixture the previous weekend was also called off because opponents Southall Town were in action in the FA Vase.

The mid-season break has given Wootton's injured players a chance to recover and he is also hoping to strengthen his squad with three new signings in the coming week.

"We were quite happy to play on Saturday because we the side we had available was not bad," he said.

"We've pretty much got everyone back now. It's only Justin Messenger with a hamstring and Brian Blake with knee cartilage who are still out. We heard it was off at 12.30pm when we were just ready to go which was disappointing.

"It will probably be replayed in January. I am a little concerned that now we have had a few games called off there will be a bit of a fixture pile-up. If we are playing a lot of mid-week games when other teams are only playing on Saturdays it will affect us. We will have less time to recover than other teams."

Wootton has been unable to boost his players' match fitness by playing them in the reserves because their match at home to Aldbourne was postponed because of rain as well.

But he hopes the players will respond positively after the break.

"I hope they will come back feeling refreshed," he added. "We have been training as normal although they have had this week off and will come back in for the match on Saturday."

This weekend Pewsey will travel to ninth-placed Tuffley Rovers who are 18 points in front of the Recreation Ground side.

After that they will entertain fellow strugglers Pegasus Juniors on January 3 for what will be a real six-pointer.

Wootton added: "We lost at home to Tuffley last season but beat them away. They are quite a good side.

"But the big game for us is obviously against Pegasus the following Saturday.

"It is important for us to start beating the teams around us if we are to move away from the bottom."

Wootton hopes to also add to his selection options by bringing in three new faces in the next week.

"I'm looking at a goalkeeper and a couple of midfielders," he said. "Getting some new players in would be a good boost for the second half of the season."