LONGTON have opted for a spot of warm-weather training to beat the cold snap.

Tony Wheat's side saw last week's National League Three Midlands game at Syston cancelled on Friday because of a frozen pitch – and the prospects look bleak for this weekend.

Longton are due to host third-placed South Leicester, but their Trentham Fields base is still snow-bound and frozen.

But there is no respite for the players, who will descend on the warmth of Fenton Manor sports complex for indoor training to keep them finely tuned.

"We trained on the artificial pitch last Saturday for a while, but the weather then became too bad," said Wheat, right.

"We're going to Fenton Manor tonight and, although it isn't ideal, there are still aspects of our game we can work on.

"There's no contact work indoors, but we can run through our attacking patterns, support running and basic structure.

"It's a bit of a change for the players as well and has proved to be beneficial in the past."

Fifth-placed Longton are desperate to return to action after defeats in their last two outings against Newport and champions-elect Rugby Lions.

But, should the game go ahead, South Leicester will provide a formidable test, having lost just one of their 17 league games.

"It is frustrating because we have a fully-fit squad and we want to build on the performance we put in against Rugby Lions," added Wheat.

"South Leicester have changed the way they play in recent years.

"They used to be one-dimensional with a big pack and if you dominated there you were home and hosed. But they seem to have added some talented backs to the squad, which makes them more expansive, and more dangerous.

"We have nothing to fear, though, and if we do play, there is no reason why we can't beat them on our own patch.

"The forecast isn't looking too great, so we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best."