MANAGER Karl Duguid is glad that his Heybridge Swifts squad is fighting fit as he knows he will need all of his resources in a busy spell of BetVictor Isthmian League division north action that is coming up.

Swifts head into Saturday's trip to Cambridge City sat third in the division north table, but they have a busy spell of duty coming up until the end of the month.

Before December comes around, Heybridge will have had home games against AFC Sudbury and Great Wakering Rovers and an away day at Brentwood Town in the league as well as an Essex Senior Cup tie at Waltham Abbey and Duguid knows that schedule will be testing for his players.

So he was pleased to get action for a number of players in their 3-2 Tolleshunt D'Arcy Cup clash at Witham Town on Tuesday as they got the chance to build match fitness ahead of the hectic spell.

“We wanted to get minutes into a lot of the boys and we got that at Witham," said Duguid.

“Pricey (Matt Price), Jordan (Cox), Billy (Willis), Tuib (Adeyemi), (Elliott) Ronto – they all needed to play and we got that, but it meant there were a number of changes that we made.

“You look at all these cup competitions that we’re in and they all have different priorities, but you enter it for a reason and we want to go as far as possible.

“The main thing, though, was to get minutes into a lot of the players who needed to play games.

“We did rest a few because we have some tough games coming up in the league and we have a tough run of Saturday-Tuesday games."

Heybridge won the cup encounter with two goals from Harrison Chatting and one from Jack Adlington-Pile and the Swifts boss is now looking to press on in the league.

He added: “The table is very tight and we have a tough game coming up at Cambridge, before a home game against Sudbury and then Brentwood away.

“They are coming thick and fast and it’s showing itself to be a tough league.

“We needed to get people minutes on Tuesday because we are going to need everyone in this spell.

“Everyone will be needed at some point.

“There’s no doubt that we have a good squad and we know that everyone will be called on when games are coming thick and fast.

“Thankfully everyone is fit and where we want them to be, but we know that can change so we have to have everyone ready."