Whitehaven player-coach Carl Forster is not shirking from the task facing his side as they battle for a place in the League One play-offs.

Forster accepts that Haven will probably have to win four of their last five matches if they are to qualify – and even then it might not be certain, as they are currently two points adrift in seventh and have the poorest scoring differential.

But having won six in a row to get themselves into the play-offs, Forster is backing his side to come good again when it matters.

He said: “We have lost our last two games, both away, and against two sides who are up there above us.

"It was particularly disappointing how we lost at Oldham, and the fact we haven’t scored a point in those two games was also worrying.

“But we have been working this week on the things where we’ve been poor, particularly at Oldham, and I hope we will be right for Doncaster on Sunday.

“There are a number of areas where we can work on to improve, particularly at play-the-balls where we need to be quicker.

“It’s always harder away from home, so it will be good to get back to the Recreation Ground and try to start a run of wins which might get us into the play-offs.

“Doncaster won’t be easy though. They beat us 44-6 down there early in the season and, since then, they’ve signed some good players and have done particularly well with their loan players and ones they have had on dual registration.”

The good news for Forster is that he doesn’t have any fresh injury concerns ahead of the game against the Dons which will kick-off at 2pm.

That’s not the case for Richard Horne, the Doncaster coach who saw top try-scorer Jason Tali turn his ankle at Tuesday’s training session.

Several players took knocks in last Sunday’s 38-6 win over London Skolars at the Keepmoat Stadium so Horne will have a worrying wait to see if he has a full-strength squad for the trip to west Cumbria.