Boss says players have grown mentally after Cassius Camps Challenge.

Steve Davis is confident that his players would have only benefitted both physically and mentally from Tuesday’s trip to the Lake District.

The players were put through gruelling but character building tasks at the Cassius Camps and the boss says that he learned a great deal from seeing his players placed out of the comfort zone.

Steve told the club’s official web-site: “It was a great experience for the players and staff we learned a great deal about them.

“I wouldn’t have thought that the players have experienced anything like it before and we got everything I thought we would out of it. I made sure they were well rested before and after it because I knew it would be tough both mentally and physically.

“It was a challenge for them on the day and they would have learned a lot about themselves and each other. It certainly brought the group closer together. They are a tight group anyway this season, but we had five new lads and it was good to get them to integrate a bit as well.

“There was no phone signals up there, so they had to chat and communicate and I’m sure having those longer conversations with their team-mates will only help them bond. They had to help each other along the way, when they found things hard and needed that help and encouragement.

“Some would look at their own personal records and think I need to improve and there was no place to hide and rely on others. It was a really good day and all the players who went through it will know they have the ability to push themselves further and dig in.

“From a staff point of view we were surprised by many of them. We saw that we had more leaders in the group than we thought we had. It is important on the pitch not to always have to rely on just two or three to lead and there were number of them who stepped up to that and were vocal and showed leadership qualities.

 He added: “They know that when they think they have reached their maximum that they can push beyond that limit and give a bit more if they are physically and mentally strong.”