Rhys Morgan is offering no excuses for his side’s dismal defeat at Wath.

“It was a bad day at the office and we have to put our hands up and admit that it just wasn’t good enough,” said Ilkley’s head of rugby “Whereas our tackling and defensive play had been strong against Doncaster Phoenix, it all fell apart on Saturday.”

“It was a terrible performance and we have to take the defeat on the chin, how we respond is what is vital now.”

Morgan and his players had a long talk about the Wath game after their training session on Tuesday and he is looking for them to bounce back on Saturday when they face Keighley in a Yorkshire Division One derby at Stacks Field.

“There is no getting away from the fact that we let ourselves down, the people who went to watch us and the club down,” Morgan said.

“We owe them one and I hope we can deliver a good performance against Keighley.

“It won’t be easy because they have just come down from North East Division One and are looking for their first win. We know from the past that they will make things tough for us. It is up to us to stand up and be counted.”

One of the successes so far this season has been centre Elliott Morgan – the coach’s son – but he is now off to study at Northumbria University.

Iain McKenzie is set to return to the back row while the speedy Paul Petchey is available again. Morgan is hoping that experienced forwards Steve Graham and Ollie Renton will shake off injuries and be able to play.