Raiders face promo crunch

Last updated 14:36, Friday, 15 August 2008

BARROW Raiders run out onto the Craven Park turf for the last time this season tonight looking for a victory that will put them in the promotion driving seat.

ACID TEST: Barrow Raiders’ former Test forward Mick Cassidy will lead from the front at Craven Park tonightSHEENAH ALCOCK REF: 0428285

A win over Keighley Cougars will put Barrow firmly in control of their own destiny in the quest for a place in National League One (8pm kick-off).

Defeating Keighley would knock the West Yorkshire side out of the promotion race and mean Barrow would secure second spot with victory at Swinton next Saturday – in a game brought forward 24 hours to avoid a clash with Manchester City’s televised fixture against West Ham.

And Clark knows the importance of the fixture, saying: “This is our last home game this year and it’s a massive game for us.

“Keighley have had some big scalps recently – they’ve beaten both Doncaster and Gateshead so we know just how tough it will be for us.”

Lee Dutton is set to return for tonight’s clash.

The big forward has been in and out of the Barrow team for the past month with a knee injury and missed the trip to Oldham last week.

Mick Cassidy, meanwhile, has declared himself fit after taking a blow to the throat at Boundary Park.

Keighley boss Barry Eaton knows how big a game tonight is for Barrow as well.

And the Cougars chief is determined to spoil the party.

“It’s by far Barrow’s biggest game of the season. They definitely have to beat us to gain automatic promotion,” Eaton told the Keighley News.

“They’re either going to be right at their best or if there is one or two nerves or edginess that may be brought out. It’s up to us to be at the top of our game.

“Barrow have had a bit of a wobble – they were looking like they would run away with the title but like all of us they had a couple of injuries – but we know the quality they’ve got and that it’s going to be a massive task.”

Eaton has doubts over Sam Gardner (neck strain), Oliver Pursglove (shoulder) and Jon Presley, while Danny Jones is definitely unavailable.

Raiders (from): Beach, Backhouse, Harrison, Beattie, Nixon, Holt, L Finch, Dutton, Ellis, Cassidy, McDermott, Ostler, Whitehead, Armitstead, Sice, Raftery, Butler, Gordon.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Gateshead	21	18	0	3	745	397	56
Barrow Raiders	20	15	0	5	651	323	49
Oldham	21	16	0	5	676	440	49
Keighley Cougars	20	13	0	7	567	485	42
Doncaster RLFC	19	13	0	6	562	380	41
York City Knights	21	10	1	10	700	514	39
Rochdale Hornets	21	10	1	10	689	570	36
Workington	21	6	0	15	496	588	28
Swinton	20	5	1	14	394	774	22
Blackpool Panthers	21	6	1	14	436	800	18
London Skolars	20	4	1	15	407	658	16
Hunslet	20	4	0	16	312	700	16