CONWY Borough manager Matthew Jones is confident his squad depth can cope with the gruelling upcoming JD Cymru North schedule.

The Tangerines’ preparations for the second-tier campaign were given another blow with Sport Wales refusing to lift restrictions on Tier 2 returning to training ahead of the new campaign, with the scheduled start date of March 20 now in some significant doubt.

Jones stated that getting a season started and finished in around eight weeks “would be tight”, with the club also mindful of work commitments for their playing squad during an uncertain time.

He said: “Based on the news we had last week, whilst it wasn’t ideal, there is still scope for us to get the season played. It’s going to be tight, but the FAW have outlined a plan that would see us get all the games in before May 31. If there is a further delay though think it would then be cancelled.

“If we do get going, the schedule looks congested. It’s going to mean squad depth is key and the way we as a coaching staff manage workload and recovery is very important.”

“We’re going to managing work commitments, injuries, suspensions and isolations, but we are more than confident we can manage this, and the players are all just so keen to get playing.”

With Bangor City and Airbus UK Broughton gaining an advantage by training and participating in friendlies while other teams are sitting on their hands, Jones added that football was never a level playing field anyway and is focusing on what he and Borough can control rather than worrying about anybody else.

“On the two Cymru North teams that are training and playing games, I don’t know the ins and outs, but they must have been given permission to be allowed to do so,” he added.

“It may seem that it’s not a level playing field, but football isn’t a level playing field. With differing budgets, facilities, training opportunities and locations it’s all about getting the maximum out of our own situation and we will continue to focus on the things that we can control.”