DAVID Flitcroft is confident that the rhythm of his squad’s preparations for Friday night football at the Energy Check County Ground won’t have been unduly affected by Saturday’s postponed League Two trip to Accrington Stanley.

Town host the U’s at the end of this week under the lights at home in a match brought forward in part to give supporters a full weekend off ahead of the Christmas period.

Flitcroft’s men were hoping to arrest a run of four matches without a win at top-three side Stanley on Saturday, but their attempt for an eighth victory in 11 league away matches this season was curtailed by the weather in the north west.

The Town squad had travelled north on Friday ahead of the game, which was declared on by referee David Webb on Saturday morning before being postponed after a further examination of the Wham Stadium playing surface at lunchtime.

Flitcroft and his staff booked the squad in for a 3pm indoor training session in Lancashire before they made their way back down to Wiltshire late on Saturday afternoon, reconvening today to start preparations for Friday’s clash.

“We were booked in to a soccer dome to do some fitness work and high-intensity work to at least try and replicate 60 minutes of the game, focussing on the intensity we’re going to try and play at,’’ Flitcroft told BBC Wiltshire.

“That’s what we’ve done. Not a lot has changed for the players.’’ Other than some extra work in today’s training session, though, the Town manager doesn’t anticipate many alterations to their timetable ahead of Colchester’s visit.

“It’s been brought forward to try and give people the weekend to try and get things organised for Christmas,’’ he said of the match.

“It’s Friday night under the lights at the County Ground. We’ve got that mapped out. We can get our work into the players and then reset on Monday. Not a lot changes from that aspect.

“We’ll have to do more work on Monday than we would have planned to do, but it’s just resetting for the Colchester game now.’’ Town have allowed midfielder Tom Smith to rejoin Bath City on loan until January 8.

The 19-year-old was recently recalled by Flitcroft as he dealt with a mounting injury list, but featured in the Romans’ goalless draw with Bognor Regis Town on Saturday.