Cougars set for table top clash

3:11pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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Coming off a big win against Oldham 11 days ago, the undefeated Keighley Cougars come up against another favourite for the National League Two title, Doncaster, on Sunday.

Cougars' head coach Barry Eaton said: "Our win at Oldham shows we're capable of competing with the best in the division. We need to maintain that level of consistency but it's going to be harder this weekend against Doncaster."

He said the Lakers, coached by rugby legend Ellery Hanley, have recruited massively and are scoring an average of more than 40 points a game in the league.

Having said that, the Cougars have already beaten Doncaster this year, 38-28 in a pre-season game held in January, which was Hanley's first game in charge.

Eaton is expecting this Sunday's game to be much tougher.

"Ellery will have had time to put his structures and game plans in place and he's had one or two new signings since then.

"We'll need to defend equally as well as we did against Oldham if we're going to win."

Doncaster are coming off a 38-12 defeat to Widnes in the Carnegie Challenge Cup on Sunday.

Eaton said: "I've watched that game and the scoreline didn't reflect Doncaster's effort. I was really impressed with them. They're a big, strong and physical side."

Eaton will field a very similar team to the one that beat Oldham.

Winger George Rayner has a neck problem but trained this week and should start. Second rower Richard Knight also picked up a shoulder injury against Oldham but has trained this week and should feature on Sunday.

Andy Shickell missed the Oldham game when his wife gave birth to a baby boy on the day of the match.

He has been on paternity leave but did train this week and might come into the team on Sunday.

Upcoming National League Two fixtures are (all kick-offs 3pm): Saturday, April 26: Blackpool v York, London Skolars v Hunslet; Sunday, April 27: Doncaster v Keighley, Gateshead v Barrow, Oldham v Rochdale, Workington v Swinton