Last updated at 11:31, Saturday, 28 July 2012

Lewis Palfrey will start at full-back for Haven tomorrow as they travel to Rochdale in a must-win clash.

Lewis Palfrey

Palfrey, signed this week on a month’s loan from Batley, comes in for Andreas Bauer, the only other change to the starting line-up that lost at Barrow being Loz Hamzat who comes off the bench.

Coach Don Gailer has been impressed with his players’ reaction to the poor showing against Barrow, and said: “The training sessions have been really good this week with everyone showing a lot of enthusiasm. They are really focussed for this one.

“It’s been good to see the senior players standing up and taking a lead.

“At the end of the day, they have to show the way and they have done that in training.

“If we can show the same leadership and commitment in the game, then I fully expect to come back with three points,” added the Aussie.

Gailer won’t be naming his full bench until before the game but indicated that Carl Sice would be one of the players named.

Rochdale will leap-frog Haven into Championship One’s fourth promotion place with a victory if they prevent the west Cumbrians from gaining a bonus point. However, a win for Gailer’s men would consolidate their position.

Another factor is that if Haven win it could hand Workington Town a place in the Championship next season, should Rochdale not get the bonus point.

Meanwhile, Rochdale pair Stephen Bannister and Adam Bowman are both available for selection, but coach John Stankevitch could name an unchanged squad from last week’s 34-6 win over Crusaders.

Stankevitch said: “It was probably the best we’ve been all year. I know what the lads are capable of when they turn it on, and we were really dominant defensively. We completely shut them out.

“It was just a really professional performance. We were patient, played with a lot of desire, and it was pleasing to see. We’re looking for the same again this week.

“From a Hornets point of view, we’re really excited. We’re playing against a team that’s conceded heavily in the last three games. We’ve conceded 10 in last three games, and they’ve conceded 98.”

Whitehaven: Palfrey, Calvert, Wiper, Parker, Hamzat, Rooney, Rudd; Houghton, Hemmingway, Culnean, Varkulis, Wilson, Doran. Subs: Sice and others to be named.

First published at 11:34, Saturday, 28 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk