Weeks five and six of pre-season saw Kidsgrove Athletic face a trio of challenging fixtures.

The Grove were beaten 5-0 away at Llandudno before a narrow 2-1 defeat to Darlaston Town. Saturday’s trip to Belper Town ended in a 4-1 loss, providing another valuable test against strong opposition.

While the results haven’t gone Kidsgrove’s way, the focus remains on building fitness, sharpening performances and continuing preparations ahead of the new season with more pre-season fixtures still to come.