Workington Town director Les Ashe said he can understand fans’ frustration following his side’s dismal derby defeat.

Town went under 56-6 at the hands of visiting Whitehaven, in what is thought to be a record derby defeat at Derwent Park.

And Ashe, director of rugby at Workington, said he agreed that Sunday’s performance and result were not acceptable.

“Everybody was extremely disappointed after Sunday,” said Ashe.

“The second-half performance was totally unacceptable, with only a handful of players showing any pride and passion.

“So, we can understand the fans’ frustration.

“To lose by that margin in a derby is disappointing in itself and unacceptable, with the greatest respect to Whitehaven.

“We have a board meeting planned for this week and, after working extremely hard over the last 12 months, we now need to take stock and fathom out how we repair the current situation.”

Town have begun preparations for next season, signing up some of the current squad to new deals.

And Ashe says this is an ongoing process, giving foundations to build on.

Stevie Scholey, Gordon Maudling and Tom Curwen have already put pen to paper on two-year deals to stay at Derwent Park.