Spencer wants Oldham angry against Workington

Oldham assistant coach Lee Spencer hopes that his team show some spirit and spite in their opening Championship Shiled game against Workington Town this Sunday.

The Roughyeds lost to Town in the last game of the first phase of the season and Spencer is keen for his troops to exert a measure of revenge.

“It’s time to put things right,” he said.

“Hopefully we’ll be determined and a little bit angry. We took our foot off the gas with the physicality at training at the back end of the season in an effort to keep them fresh and it looks like it backfired on us in that game.

“We weren’t physical at all.

“We’re going to treat this as the business part of the season.

“We’re going to sharpen up on the tools that have worked for us, we’ve got lots of evidence in analysis that what we’re telling them is the right stuff.

“We’re just going to hone our skills and toughen up.”

Oldham will be without winger Adam Clay, who has a shoulder injury, while full back Richard Lepori could miss out with a hand problem. Prop Michael Ward is serving a two-match ban.

Prop Jack Spencer is set to return, while winger Scott Turner could make his debut.

Workington Town, meanwhile, have won their last three games, albeit by the slender margin of two points each time.

Town coach Phil Veivers is happy with his players and hopes they can continue their winning form.

“We’re going OK at the moment, the guys have got smiles on their faces,” he said.

“We said we wanted to be on the coat tails of everyone after the initial round of matches and that’s where we put ourselves.

“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity; we go into each game as if it’s a Grand Final.”

Town will be without centre John Patrick, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Hooker Karl Olstrom is baned for two matches.

Winger Sam Forrester is back and hooker Callum Phillips could also return.