ROSSENDALE strikers Dave Gray and Craig Sargeson have been told to stand up and be counted by manager Jim McCluskie.

The Dale frontmen have been told they must start hitting the net if they want to take their team up from the UniBond first division at the first attempt.

The Valley side, who were promoted from the NWCL first division last season, are just outside the play-off places but have games in hand on the teams above them.

And McCluskie still hasn't ruled out securing automatic promotion.

"I have set Craig a target," said McCluskie of his 20-year-old hot shot, who scored 39 goals last season. "And Dave Gray has had a nightmare season with injuries so he has a lot to play for. They both need to start finding the net."

Sargeson has scored 12 goals this season and Gray, who has barely featured, just the one.

McCluskie has had trouble with his front players this season. He signed striker Troy Hayder but the player was released amid accusations that he didn't work hard enough and Vauxhall Motors' forward Jon Stanhope had to return to the UniBond side because of injuries having hardly played a game.

Dale last won at second-place Radcliffe Borough on Boxing Day but have only lost one league game this year - they have though only played three - and it will be three weeks since they last played a game, a 0-0 draw against Belper.

"We need to start winning," said McCluskie, whose side face struggling Kendal tomorrow at home. "It looks like it is going to end up like last season with a lot of games coming in a short space of time. We have 17 games still to play and two months to play them in.

"But we have hit our best form when we have played Saturday-Tuesday so we are looking forward to it.

"The players know what they have to do and I still haven't ruled out automatic promotion.

"We are seven points behind Radcliffe with two games in hand and we have to play them yet."