OUR defeats in six matches have scuppered Keighley Cougars’ top-four hopes in Kingstone Press League One.

The latest setback was a feisty 25-18 home defeat last Sunday against York City Knights, and Cougars’ coach Craig Lingard admitted: “The top four has gone for us now, and rather than looking up, we are looking over our shoulder.”

Prior to visits to Whitehaven (on Sunday) and Workington Town (a week on Sunday), Lingard said: “We have two really tough Cumbrian trips coming up, and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have got to dust ourselves down and prepare for next week.”

The chief problems came in the first half against York, after which they trailed 22-0 and had been reduced to 12 men as Josh Tonks (swinging arm) had been sent off.

Lingard said: “The first-half video will probably be a bit of a horror show for some people in that dressing room, but we have to look forward and try and get those two points next week.

“Certain people out there their composure had gone and we got embroiled in situations where we just needed to keep our cool, keep our composure, but unfortunately when you are 22 points down at half-time, you are always up against it in the second half, but the talk in there was about scoring four tries.”

Even before Tonks was dismissed, the Cougars could have been down to 12 men as James ‘Buster’ Feather made contact with his head on Adam Robinson around the quarter-hour mark.

Lingard confessed: “I thought Buster was going to walk, but the second one (Tonks) I was following the ball and didn’t see just how late that was, but speaking to Rikki (development coach Sheriffe), he thought it was late. We will have to look at it on video.”

Lingard, meanwhile, is expecting his walking wounded to all be back about the same time.

He said: “Judge (Scott Law) is probably going to be three or four weeks, Vinny (Finigan) a couple of weeks and Titch (Ritchie Hawkyard) is two or three weeks away from contact, so we will probably get them all back at about the same time.

Brendon Rawlins’ Irish night for his testimonial will be at Cougar Park on Friday, July 14 (7.30).

Music will be provided by band Dale Country and tickets are £10 including supper.