KEIGHLEY Cougars' head coach Craig Lingard says that his team need to work on everything after their disappointing 28-14 defeat at Doncaster on Sunday in Kingstone Press League One.

The setback has left Cougars, who have handed full back Harry Aaronson a contract extension until the end of the 2018 season, sitting in eighth place in the table with four wins and four defeats.

Lingard said: "The team's form is a concern, not only away, but at home as well. It is a massive concern."

"We identified this game as being big in terms of the top five and the top eight as you are playing the teams that are around you and you are taking points off each other.

"Doncaster took two points off us and are now three points in front of us, and we are on the edge of that top eight."

Lingard added: "We need to work on everything on that performance.

"We have to toughen up in defence and we have to be smarter in offence as well, but we have also got to be smarter by listening.

"If we are asking them to do something as a coaching group then they have got to do it. They can't just go out there and play what they want to play.

"We identify in training, on videos, we have team reviews, team previews and we highlight what we want to do, and the players have just not done that.

"The two or three times when they have done it they have either broken through or scored a try, and then got back to playing their own way."

If the actions of his players were baffling, then so was the penalty count.

Lingard said: "The 15-7 penalty count is something that we need to look at, although I am left scratching my head as to why the penalty count is so big against us.

"It is difficult to defend when you haven't got the ball. You do repeat set after repeat set and it juices you, and that is what we needed to do against Doncaster because we knew that their middles were a bit light on numbers.

"Maybe I need to have a word with the RFL and get someone to sit with me and the players and have a look at the games and see why we are conceding penalties and the opposition aren't.

"That is eight extra sets there that you are defending, and when you get a penalty given against you, more often that not they are in your own half and it makes it very, very difficult."

Keighley are not in action now until hosting South Wales Ironmen on Saturday, June 3, and Lingard said "We now have two weeks to mull over this defeat, but I would certainly like to be playing this week."

Aaronson, 18, joined Cougars from Swinton Lions in December and was instantly promoted to the first team after impressing in trials for the reserves.

The teenager, who has attracted interest from elsewhere, made his debut in March’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup defeat at Barrow, and has featured in the Cougars' last three games, scoring tries against Coventry and Barrow.