RYAN ALDRIDGE said he and his Leeds Knights players will take any downtime they can get as the race for the NIHL National league title hots up in the coming weeks.

After a frantic five games in eight days – which included securing the NIHL National Cup for the first-ever time – the Knights enjoy home comforts this weekend with two games in three days at Elland Road.

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Romford Raiders visit The Castle on Friday night (7.30pm) – no doubt keen to avenge their National Cup defeat – before the Knights get a day off ahead of welcoming Bristol Pitbulls on Sunday (5.15pm).

There will then be seven games in 15 days to conclude the regular season – including a three-game weekend which takes in a visit for the Knights to chief title rivals Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday, March 15.

“I think we’d rather have the two games in two days to be honest, but it’s great to have no travel this weekend, especially given the week or so we’ve just had,” said head coach Aldridge.

“We’ve got another busy weekend coming up in a couple of weeks, too, so we’ll take the rest whenever we can get it.”

Even though many eyes will be on the clash in Milton Keynes, Aldridge and his players are aware of the potential pitfalls in all nine of their remaining games.

ONWARDS: Ryan Aldridge will be hoping his Leeds Knights team can maintain their push for the NIHL National league title on home ice against Romford Raiders on Friday night. Picture: Ben Gordon/Knights Media.,

"Nobody can say who is going to take the title or when it is going to be won,” said Aldridge, whose former club Swindon Wildcats just about remain in the title frame, albeit five points back and having played a game more.

"I’m sure we all have have slip-ups along the way.”

Aldridge was heartened by his team’s dedication to the cause in their impressive 4-1 win at Peterborough Phantoms last Saturday – their fifth game in an eight-day window which also saw them win the NIHL National Cup for the first-ever time.

"It was a big week for all of us,” he added. “From winning the cup, the boys having a little celebration – I’m sure it wasn’t as much as they would have liked – but we were straight back into games and were on it in Sheffield./

"And we could quite easily have gone into Peterborough for what was our fifth game in eight days and slipped up. So for them to come out of there with a win was absolutely massive.”

Leeds Knights v Romford Raiders: Home comforts can help Knights maintain push for NIHL National league crown