Christmas Day training on the menu as Robins face crucial festive double-header

Football will be the main ingredient on the festive menu for Altrincham's players this weekend, with games against Bromley on Saturday and FC Halifax Town on Boxing Day and a training session in between on Christmas Day itself.

The Robins are currently fourth in the Vanarama National League, following a dramatic 2-1 win over AFC Fylde at The J. Davidson Stadium, and are determined to leave nothing to chance in their pursuit of a place in the end-of-season play-offs as they head into a crucial Christmas programme.

Watch Chris Conn-Clarke's winner against AFC Fylde on Saturday:

A trip to second-placed Bromley, live on TNT Sports at 5.30pm, is followed by a double-header with Halifax, at The J. Davidson on the 26th and The Shay on New Year's Day, and there were no apologies from Alty's management team for ordering the players in to their Egerton training centre for a work-out on Christmas Day.

"We will train on Friday morning before travelling down for the Bromley game," said assistant-manager Neil Sorvel. "We'll be late back from that, and the lads will be off on Christmas Eve, but they will be coming in on Christmas morning for a session.

"It's just unfortunate the way the games have fallen, with a late kick-off down in south-east London on Saturday meaning we have to get them in on Monday ahead of Halifax on Tuesday afternoon, or we would be going into that game without having seen them for a couple of days.

"We're too professional to allow that to happen, so we'll spend an hour or so with them going through preparations and making sure they are as ready as possible to face a Halifax side who deserve our utmost respect.

"It's a big weekend for us. Bromley's league position speaks for itself, and Halifax's record for not conceding in second to none, so it's clear we're in for two really tough games."