Stepping-up the intensity in training will be a priority tomorrow night and next week as Whitehaven bid to stay top of League One.

Although Haven don’t have a game this weekend, training is to be stepped-up – partly after a disappointing effort in defeat at Oldham on Sunday.

Coach Gary Charlton has had to contend with injuries and players soldiering on with knocks over the last two weeks or so.

“As a consequence we haven’t been training with the same intensity as we had been earlier in the season.

“That has changed now and it will be back up to what we were doing beforehand and I am looking for a response when we play again a week on Thursday.

“I don’t mind getting beat, but it was the manner of our defeat on Sunday which hurt. We were second best in the collisions most of the game and that’s something that hadn’t been happening before then.

“We gave a couple of lads a rest on Sunday and hopefully they will be fully refreshed to resume against North Wales a week on Sunday,” said Charlton.

Winger Andrew Bulman is set to return for that trip after being out with a fractured cheekbone for the last six weeks – ironically on a trip to Wales.

Ethan Kelly broke his arm in the same game and he was having the plaster cast removed this week and also expects to be in contention.