Doncaster RLFC hooker Kesik looks to get the job done at Oldham

But the long-serving forward, who admits that last season’s semi-final defeat is still fresh in his mind, is taking the Betfred League One play-off campaign one game at a time.

Things certainly don’t get any easier for the Dons in their bid to end a four-year stay in League One.

After beating third-placed Newcastle they take on second-placed Oldham at the Vestacare Stadium.

In addition to having had last weekend off, Oldham also have the advantage of a 3G pitch which most visiting sides don’t enjoy playing on.

“It’s not the best of grounds and the pitch is very narrow,” said the former Dons captain.

“They also play it well.

“They’ve got a big pack who run the ball in hard and they compete for the full 80 minutes.

“They also have a good kicking game.”

The Dons suffered their biggest league defeat of the season at the Vestacare Stadium last month.

“They probably felt that they owed us one after we had won there in the 1895 Cup and also beaten them 31-0 at home in the league,” said Kesik.

“But we didn’t play well on the day and also had a few injury problems which didn’t help.”

Oldham have lost just once since that defeat at the Keepmoat in early June and are fancied to join newly-crowned Champions Whitehaven in the Championship next season but Kesik insists it’s not a lost cause.

“We’ve only conceded two tries in our last two games against good sides away from home.

“So we feel we are coming together at the right time,” he said.

Kesik, who led from the front in the opening quarter at Kingston Park in what was his 250th career game, added: “We know we’ve got to go there with the same mentality as at Newcastle.

“We’ve got to try and set an early platform and try and get on the front foot and then take any chances which come our way.

“Hopefully we can get the job done on Sunday.

“But if not we’ll have another chance (to make the final) against the winners of the Newcastle-Workington tie the following week though we’ll not be thinking of that going into the game.”