Rock-bottom Hemel Stags, who visit the Recreation Ground on Sunday, have recently added two new faces to their squad.

Utility forward Sam Crowther and half-back Ryan Matthews both featured in their 50-24 home defeat by Doncaster at the weekend.

Crowther learned his trade in the Huddersfield Academy and spent time on-loan at Gateshead before joining Doncaster on trial.

Stags coach Troy Perkins said: “He’s been training with us for a while now and his fitness levels have been improving. He’s pretty physical and strong so will hopefully go well for us.”

Crowther started on the bench against Doncaster and gave a good account of himself when he was used as an inter-change.

Matthews began his career in the Sheffield Acadamy but has been working abroad for the last two years.

“He’s in the Navy and is a member of the Combined Services squad for the World Cup," said Perkins.

"He came to us and was a last-minute selection for the game with Workington when he held his own. He didn’t look out of place and he will get better the more training he does with us."

On Sunday, Matthews actually started at scrum-half against Doncaster and got in a fair piece of the action.

Hemel have only scored 82 points in seven games, and have the worst record in League One at both ends of the field, conceding 440.

But more than half their points (42) have come in the last two games when it won’t have escaped Carl Forster’s notice that they have started to score tries.

They bagged three against Town, who are now fifth in the table, and then added another four against Doncaster, who are fourth.

The game against the Stags will revert back to a 3pm kick-off following the earlier start against Newcastle Thunder two weeks ago. Whitehaven had started the season with 2pm kick-offs but will start an hour later for the rest of the season.