EIGHT is the magic number for Barrow Raiders coach Paul Crarey who has set his sights on the League One battle for promotion.

He takes his sixth-placed side to Gloucestershire All Golds looking to consolidate the team’s position in the table as they aim for Super 8s qualification. But he is expecting a hard slog tomorrow against a team who ran them close twice last season.

Crarey will not take anything for granted against All Golds despite them having secured just one league win this season – against Coventry Bears – and said: “They are improving even though results don’t suggest that. They can cause a shock.”

With a place in the promotion shake-up by qualifying for the Super 8s his target, Crarey added: “We want to do well and make these play-offs, which was our aim at the start of the year. We want to get into the eight.

“It is very competitive this year and we will see what happens from there. We are going to take one game as it comes.

“The next one is Gloucester and then London. A top four place would be nice, but as we said at the start of the season we want an improvement on last year. We didn’t make it last year but this year we are going okay.

“We have lost three games up to now and drawn one, but we have two tough away games, possible banana skins if we are not on our guard and not focused and ready.”

Strong-running packman Andrew Dawson is poised to return after being out with a dead leg but there is a doubt over Brad Marwood who took a knock during the defeat against Toulouse.

“He’s back in training and thinks he will be okay but we will see what the physios say, Josh Ward will come in for him if he’s a doubt,” added the Barrow coach.

Crarey will be keen to see winger Chris Fleming in the mix but will have to wait a couple of weeks before the player is back in contention and in the meantime will rely on widemen Shane Toal and Cameron Pitman.

With Andy Litherland also recovering from injury, Crarey’s options look limited at centre where he is running with Chris Hankinson and Max Wiper. The Raiders coach is hopeful of a return for hooker and vice captain Nathan Mossop for next week’s clash at London but he may have to be patient for a little longer with the final decision about his availability coming from the club’s physios.

However, lightning half-back Liam Campbell, yet to start in the league this season after suffering a shoulder problem, is waiting for a consultation following a scan.

“We have missed Liam Campbell. He was outstanding last year,” added Crarey, who believes the stand-off may require surgery.