VICKERSTOWN reserves boss Steve Brennan seeks a big improvement from his team when they host league leaders GSK Ulverston Rangers tomorrow.

The Park Vale player-manager wants to see a response after last week’s 6-2 hammering at Haverigg, who leapfrogged them to move into second in the Furness Premier League Premier Division table.

“Hopefully we will bounce back after last week’s good hiding we got at Haverigg,” said Brennan.

“It was 6-2 and we did well to come second. We were absolutely terrible.

“It was probably the worst Vickerstown reserves performance I have seen for a long, long time, if not ever.

“Normally we are quite tight in defence. We don’t let a lot of goals in. We let six in in one go so hopefully that will be it until the end of the season.”

Brennan knows his side can ill afford any further setbacks if they are going to challenge for the title.

He is aware of the danger Rangers pose and will be keen to see Vickerstown’s normally reliable defence tighten up against a side who have found the back of the net 32 times so far in the league.

Ian Rogers, who played up front last week, is set to join Mike Imison in the centre of defence, while Oscar Fleming and Brad Palfreyman, both substitutes last week, will be pushing for a starting place.

Vickerstown will also be looking to Scott McDonald to continue his good work up front, with Brennan adding: “He’s been our main threat up front, he’s had a good season so far.”

He added: “We need to get a result, whether it be a draw or a win, we need to get something.

“The important thing is not to get beat again. Glaxo are top and if they beat us the gap is going to get wider. We need to start reeling these teams back in an try and keep ahead of the teams below.

“We can’t let them get too far away from us, it is going to be a manic end to the season as it is, with a lot of games in a short space of time.”

Defender Brennan is unavailable for the game but looking ahead to the remainder of a campaign hit by a soggy winter, he said: “There is a long way to go in the season. We are in the second weekend in March and we have only played 13 league games so we have to play as many league games between now and the end of the season as we have done since August.

“It is going to be all hands to the pump and we have got to try and kick on and get a good result this Saturday, it’s all to play for.”

After lifting two cups last season – the Paul Wilson Memorial Trophy and the Terry Clinton Memorial Trophy – winning the league has become the main target for Vickerstown, with Brennan adding: “We said at the start of the season trying to win the league would be the priority for the side.”

Holker Old Boys stayed with the chasing pack in the North West Counties Division One table after a 2-2 midweek draw at Ashton Town, with former West Brom and Wigan ace Lee Ashcroft netting on his debut from a free-kick moments before the final whistle.

The fifth-placed side are in Reusch First Division Cup action tomorrow when they head to Barnton, who sit two positions above them.