Leatherhead boss Richard Brady says his players do not need any motivation to avoid being on the wrong end of a “Bradford”.

The Tanners travel to Ryman League Division One South strugglers Three Bridges on Saturday, before a rearranged Senior Surrey Cup trip to Epsom & Ewell of the Combined Counties Premier Division on Tuesday.

And after Bradford City’s shock win over Arsenal in the Capital One Cup this week, Brady says his charges know they need to be on top of their game to avoid the double dose of banana skins.

Prior to the postponement of Tuesday night’s league clash at Faversham, the Tanners’ sixth postponed match in six weeks, Brady men’s had picked up their form with wins over Walton Casuals and Herne Bay, and a close-run 1-0 defeat at home to high-flying Maidstone United.

This good form is just another reason why Brady says the team must not let complacency seep into this coming week.

“Anyone who has been in a team of mine understands that if you are not on your metal, not at it, you can come unstuck. Just look at what Bradford did,” Brady said.

“If we go to these games coming up believing we are going to win, then we’re very much mistaken. There is no science to football, saying you will win because you’re higher up the table or in a higher league is just not football.

“There is no denying we have better quality than Three Bridges, but they will be working hard to stop us, disrupt our game and get among us. We have to be ready for that.”

Brady is without the suspended striker Tommy Hutchings until Boxing Day, while defender Jamie Coyle is expected to be back inside a week and goalkeeper Matt Reed could return after Christmas.

Hutchings would have played in the Faversham game, but it was one postponement that worked in Brady’s favour – however, that has not always been the case.

He said: “Postponements are part and parcel of this level of football, you just have to use your common sense. I could tell by looking out my front window that the Faversham game would be called off.

“They tried to get the game on and we went across there, and then it was called off. It’s frustrating but parts of the pitch were like concrete.

“I think Faversham were desperate to play and it blinkered them to the truth. If that had been at our place, I could have told you in the middle of the day it would be off.”

He added: “We have to deal with these postponements, it is all a case of keeping the players’ aerobic fitness levels ticking over and coping with not knowing when games are on, off, touch or go.

“It does get frustrating when you get a run of results and you want to keep it going, but everyone is in the same boat.”