Wisbech head coach Leonard Veenendaal has challenged his players to begin the new year with a positive attitude after a disappointing end to 2016.

The local side were edged 21-15 by Newmarket on December 17, and Veenendaal has said it is vital that his men show character in their clash at Crusaders tomorrow (2pm).

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed after the loss to Newmarket,” he said.

“Doing the post-match video analysis only fuelled my disappointment – we enjoyed the majority of possession but our poor discipline cost us the game.

“I have no doubt a number have players have not performed to their ability and I’ve been calling on players to up their game or lose their places.

“There has to be changes and there will be over the next few weeks.

“We’ve put in some good performances but haven’t got the results which maybe we deserved but we have to keep plugging away and hopefully the planned changes will be the catalyst in inspiring some of the players to lift their game and fight their way back into the team.

“We have to keep learning and moving forward, put in the hard work in training and build on the positives.

“I’m backing those players who lost their places to respond with a positive attitude and rise to the challenge.

“Away to Crusaders is one of the most hostile places to go and we could not have picked a harder away game to try and put things right.”

Wisbech lie in sixth in the Eastern Counties Division One league standings, eight points behind fifth-placed Woodbridge.