HARROGATE Town are sweating on the fitness of top scorer Danny Holland ahead of their festive cracker against table-topping Stafford Rangers.

The 13-goal marksman has been out with hamstring trouble since scoring in their last Conference North outing - the excellent 4-0 win at Hednesford on November 19 - and boss Neil Aspin is keen to have him back for their tough return to league action after a three-week sabbatical.

Holland missed the shock FA Trophy loss at Solihull and the comfortable West Riding County Cup win over Armthorpe ten days ago, and Aspin stressed improvement was needed for tomorrow's assignment against a side who returned to the summit with a 3-0 defeat of Gainsborough last Saturday.

"It will be very difficult. They're top of the league and they've got good players and a big, strong team," said Aspin, who reckoned his own side's break from the league grind was of little consequence.

"There are two ways to look at it. When we won our last league game we played very well and I would probably have liked to have played Stafford straight after.

"But we then had a disappointing result (against Solihull) so it's all about what happens on the day. Either way we have to be much better if we are to get anything from Stafford."

Holland would be a probable starter if passed fit and, while Aspin may make "one or two" other changes, the striker's inclusion could be vital against a team who have the second-meanest defence in the league, have only lost once away from home this term and who took four points off Town in the only previous meetings between the clubs last season.

The game is fifth-placed Town's last of the year at Wetherby Road and while they will want to round off the 2005 home account in style, a victory will also set them up well for a flourishing festive period during which they play teams much further down the standings.

Updated: 10:36 Friday, December 09, 2005