Braintree Town manager Alan Devonshire admits he has a concern over the toll that the previous two games will have taken on his players ahead of today’s trip to Grimsby Town.

The Vanarama Conference Premier fixture planners did the Iron no favours when lining up three trips to promotion-chasing clubs in eight days that will see their part-time players rack up more than 1,000 miles on the road.

The third of that trio of games will come at the fourth-placed Mariners today with Braintree looking to get the disappointment of defeats at FC Halifax Town and Bristol Rovers out of their system.

The game Halifax was played on an energy-sapping pitch and was decided by a stoppage-time goal for the Shaymen last weekend, while on Tuesday, Braintree had to battle for an hour of their game at Bristol with only ten men after Matt Paine had been sent off.

A late goal also gave the hosts a win in that game and Devonshire admits it may all have taken a toll on his players so said it would be a quiet preparation for the game at Grimsby.

Devonshire said: “Of course it’s a concern and we seem to be the only club that this type of run of games happens to.

“We’ve had it before, but other clubs don’t seem to get it like we do.

“My boys have to go to work as well.

“It may be different if you’re a full-time setup, but we’ll have a light session before the game and have to get on with it.”

Jordan Cox is still out for the trip to Grimsby with a knee problem, while Paine will be suspended and Devonshire said Ryan Peters is more likely to be ready for his team’s home game against Macclesfield Town on Tuesday than Grimsby as he recovers from a bad back.

However, defender Remy Clerima will return after being unavailable at Bristol Rovers and James Mulley had recovered from a groin injury to make a substitute appearance in midweek so should be ready for a start again.