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Rochdale Hornets will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season on Sunday, as Halifax make the short trip to the Crown Oil Arena.

Last Sunday they were beaten 28-18 by full-time outfit, and favourites for the title, Hull Kingston Rovers, however they were just two points behind until five minutes to go.

That was something which disappointed head coach Alan Kilshaw on the day, as he felt his team had more to offer and had a great chance inside the final 10 minutes which they couldn’t take.

In the grand scheme of things though the Hornets are fourth in the Kingstone Press Championship after leading the way for the first two rounds, and have recorded impressive wins over both Dewsbury Rams and Bradford Bulls.

For the first time since August last year Kilshaw will be looking for a reaction from a loss, as their five game winning run was brought to an end, however he is confident they will bounce back.

He said: “I’ve seen how our group have handled winning and the pats on the back with all the media coverage we have been receiving, but now we have to see how they handle defeat and react to a loss.

“Knowing them as I do I think they will react well.

“We’re looking forward to it and hopefully there will be another big crowd.”

There will be a number of familiar faces in the Hornets line-up for the away supporters this week, as four players made the switch from Halifax in the off-season.

Miles Greenwood, Gavin Bennion, Jake Eccleston and Ryan Maneely will all be vying to face their former club, and will be desperate to pick up a win to prove they made the right choice.

Greenwood, though, could have to wait for the reverse fixture away from home to come up against his former team mates as he left the field against Hull KR with an abdominal strain which will be assessed in the lead up to the game.

All four new recruits have impressed, and another off-season addition who has stood out is Gary Middlehurst, as he picked up his second man-of-the-match award of the season already.

In his second spell with Hornets, the experienced back rower is relishing his role as number 13 as it allows him to show off his ball playing capabilities, as well as mixing it in the middle with the forwards with his solid defence.

Halifax go into the game off the back of a much needed win over Sheffield Eagles, as they cruised to a 42-16 victory to pick up their first two points of the season.

That makes them a dangerous opponent according to Kilshaw, who is wary of the threat that Richard Marshall’s men pose.

He said: “They picked up a win under pressure against Sheffield and there will be a huge relief within the squad that they got a response with the two points.

“They’re a side with a lot of quality but we fear no-one this season, as we have already shown, especially at home with our great supporters behind us.

“We have a great group with a lot of desire and aggression, and against Rovers on Sunday they showed great resilience to fight their way back into the game after conceding four tries in a row.

“We will be looking for more of that resilience this Sunday, and as I said we want a response from the loss.”

Haliax won both meetings of the two sides in the 2014 season, Hornets’ last in the second tier, as the most recent of those came in a 42-24 win at The Shay.

Earlier that season they also came out on top at Spotland, running out 28-12 winners against a side which featured current first teamer Jordan Case at loose forward, while Lewis Galbraith featured on the wing on dual-registration from St Helen's.

Tickets are available from as little as £5 for children, with concession tickets priced at £12 and adults £15. These are available on match day from the office, or online at www.hornetsrugbyleague.co.uk or by calling 01706 648 004.