RHYS Morgan has called for his young side to become more streetwise and go on a run of victories as they look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat.

Ilkley host Alnwick at Stacks Field on Saturday following a 38-22 loss at Rossendale in the North Premier last weekend.

The defeat, their third out of the first six games of the season, saw Ilkley slip one place to sixth. But they have a chance to give themselves daylight from a bunched mid-table which sees just four points separate seven teams from fifth-placed Sandal (on 18 points) down to Kirkby Lonsdale in 11th with 14.

Ilkley's ranks will be further bolstered on Saturday with the returns of Steve Burns and JH Johnson to the squad.

Head of rugby Morgan said: "We are just staying in touch at the moment.

"If we can put the same team out for us week in, week out, we can put a run together.

"The league is anybody's game at the moment. If we can put four or five wins together, and other results go our way, we could be right up the table.

"The league is as tight as I have seen it over the last six or seven years. It seems pretty close.

"We want to put things right this weekend. That's what we have to aim to do and kick back up the table.

"We are learning as a young squad every single game.

"The boys are doing really, really well, I'm pleased with them. This is the problem for us at the moment; one or two decisions going against us and spillages of the ball are costing us games."

Morgan says his side faced a tricky test at Rossendale and claims their opponents should have faced two red and one yellow cards for their physical approach.

He added: "We made a few mistakes, we dropped a few balls.

"We have got to work on what we can do to make everything right for us.

"Kicks and punches are not something that should be tolerated. It should be identified.

"We have a young front row and games like this can only help them.

"I felt we were hard done to at Rossendale, but we have to concentrate on what we can do better. It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow. We went down six tries to four."