HONOURING the memory of former favourite Danny Jones will be the driving force when Cougars take the field against London Skolars on Monday.

Paul March’s promotion-chasing side are seeking a fourth straight victory as they bid to move closer towards sealing a top-two spot in League One.

The leading pair will face each other in an end-of-season shoot-out for promotion and the trip to Skolars on Bank Holiday Monday marks the rearranged match from May 3, which was abandoned after just 14 minutes with Cougars leading 12-6.

Jones collapsed and was taken to hospital, where he died from a cardiac arrest triggered by hereditary heart disease, but his loss is fuelling Cougars’ desire to return to the Championship at the first attempt.

Player-coach March said: “Obviously Monday is going to be a bit of an emotional day as far as we are concerned.

“Jonesy was with us when we first sat down and said ‘promotion is the key for us this year’.

“That was one of the reasons why Danny re-signed for the club – to make sure we got back up.

“Ever since then, everybody’s been fighting to make sure it does happen and the lads are fully focused on that.

“Yes, we’ve had a couple of off-days this season but it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish.

“With players coming back hopefully we can get the job done to honour the memory of Mr Jones.”

So as to ensure March and his players do not have to return to the scene of the fateful day, the rearranged fixture will now take place at Hemel Stags’ Pennine Way Stadium, the ground on which Jones’ achieved his landmark 1000th point for the club.

March added: “We have overcome a lot of things this year and to get to where we want to be then we have to perform and do a professional job on Monday.

“Jonesy is in everyone’s mind all the time anyway and it’s going to be tough playing against the Skolars, but I think it will be tough for their players as well.

“It will be an emotional day and we’re grateful to the Skolars and the RFL for agreeing to switch the game from the New River Stadium.

“Everyone had booked holidays for this weekend with it being Bank Holiday which they have had to cancel to get the game on.

“But there was no hesitation from any of our players to make sure that happened.”

Cougars are in buoyant mood as they head south aiming to maintain their winning run.

Significantly, key players are returning from injury for the run-in and Paul Handforth played 80 minutes of last weekend’s 10-8 win at Rochdale.

March said: “If we win these three games, the minimum we can achieve is second, then it will go down to points difference if Oldham slip up and finish level with them.

“We’re focused on making sure we do that because our goal at the beginning of the year was to make sure we were in that play-off final.

“If we win our remaining three games then we can guarantee that and we want to achieve it.

“We will go to London full of confidence on the back of two narrow wins and we’re looking to express ourselves in these last three games.

“If we are going to give ourselves an opportunity of finishing first, then we need to pile the points on.

“With it being a grand final, would their (Oldham's) ground be adequate to cope with the level of support that we would have behind us?

“But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’m confident in our ability because we’ve got a lot of experienced players and a lot of good youngsters as well coming through.

“I’d back our side against anyone in a one-off game.”

On the improving health of his squad, March said: “To have Paul Handforth back at Rochdale was massive for us.

“He got through 80 minutes, was hobbling a bit late on, but that was more down to a dead leg as opposed to any reaction to his calf.

“It’s good to have people returning – David (March) was back, Brendon (Rawlins) was back and Scott Lee declared himself fit but wasn’t selected.

“Ash Lindsay is back training this week so by the end of the Gloucester game, leading into the Hemel game, I should have everybody fully fit apart from Sean Kelly and Jode Sheriffe, who are out long-term.

“Adam Brook has got a micro-fracture in his knee, so he is going to be a minimum of four weeks. Hopefully he will be back in contention for Gloucester.”