CWMBRAN manager Sean Wharton has banished talk of Saturday's 7-1 record defeat against Rhyl and is urging his side to get back on track at Haverfordwest tonight in the Welsh Premier League (kick-off 7.30pm).

Cwmbran are just four points off the bottom of the league after last week's mauling and Wharton believes his players must forget about the result.

The defeat was further put into perspective for Wharton by the death of his school friend Peter Collier, 37, who collapsed while playing for Lliswerry during a Newport and District League match last weekend.

"The players are over the Rhyl defeat. It was a dreadful performance but we have got past it and are looking forward to Haverfordwest with optimism, the boys looking to make amends," he said.

"The players are an honest bunch and know they had a very bad game, but we're not mentioning it anymore.

"If I am honest though, football has not been at the forefront of my thoughts this week because of the death of Peter Collier.

"I knew him as Collier as you often do with mates from school where everyone is known by their surname and he was a funny and likeable man.

"Hearing about his death puts football into perspective. We really can't worry about things like a bad result as ultimately it isn't that important. I send my deepest sympathy to his family. He was a smashing bloke."

Wharton is confident his young squad can turn around the recent dip in form that has resulted in them picking up only two points from their last five games.

He explained: "I firmly believe we have the best crop of players in Gwent and if anyone from the area feels they could do a better job they are more than welcome to come along and train with us.

"I have total faith in the players I have here, I warned them when we won three of my first games that we would have harder times to come and that is the position we currently find ourselves in.

"Things aren't going brilliantly at the moment but we are all in this together and will turn our recent poor results around."

Wharton is without regular goalkeeper Gareth Wesson, suspended after being sent off against Rhyl, but has signed Richard Lancaster from Caerleon to deputise.

Loan signing Richard Ingram from Merthyr is still out with a broken collarbone and Lewis Sommers is out for three weeks with strained knee ligaments. Fellow striker Rhys Carpenter has a suspected broken toe but is prepared to play through the pain if required.

Youth products Ian Watkins and Lee Newman will be in the squad after impressing Wharton.

Cwmbran (from) Lancaster, Davies, Green, Clare, Binning, Ward, Goodridge, Heal, Carpenter, Z Misbah, Hanbury, Phillips, Edwards, Tipping, Carless, Watkins, Newman.