ON A clear day, you can catch a glimpse of the Fylde coast from the Furness Peninsular.

It is an area the players and staff of Barrow Raiders now have squarely in their sights – specifically the land of donkey rides, 'kiss me quick' hats and sticks of rock, better known as Blackpool – after reaching the League One Cup semi-finals.

Having disposed of holders Keighley Cougars thanks to a dogged 28-6 victory at Craven Park yesterday, they might even be able to make out the town skyline and the iconic outline of the Tower – or at the very least, the glow of the illuminations.

There is still one more step on the journey to go though, and while all roads might lead to Blackpool for the League One Cup final on Saturday, May 27, Raiders will have to go via a meeting with either Oxford, University of Gloucestershire All Golds or North Wales Crusaders in the semi-finals.

Their opponents for the last four will be decided today sometime after 12.30pm, when the draw takes place and Paul Crarey's side will undoubtedly go into that match, to be played over the weekend of April 29 and 30, as heavy favourites to go on and lift the trophy at Bloomfield Road.

But there is no danger of this group of Barrow players taking any of their potential opponents lightly. Head coach Crarey will not allow them to, for starters.

The manner of the quarter-final win over Keighley is a case in point and saw Raiders exhibit great composure, particularly after temporarily being down to 12 men early in the second half following a yellow card for Dan Toal.

It was at this point Cougars became the first opposing team for four hours and 50 minutes to score at Craven Park, through a try from Adam Brook, yet even then the home side went up the other end and came close to scoring another of their own.

Composure, too, was needed in a cup tie where things threatened to boil over on more than one occasion thanks to the officials allowing plenty of leeway for what both sides were allowed to get away with at the ruck area in attempts to slow down the play-the-ball.

But while much of Barrow's attacking game is based on getting quick ball and carving teams apart, they showed they have developed the ability to win in a variety of ways if they are not able to do that.

Having said that, two tries in the opening six minutes from recalled winger Luke Cresswell and Jamie Dallimore may well have led to those in attendance to think this might have turned out in a similar manner to the previous week's 82-0 victory over Hemel Stags in Kingstone Press League One.

The first of those came after a penalty allowed the hosts good field position, followed by Ryan Fieldhouse finding former Barrow Island amateur Cresswell with a superb cut-out pass for him to dive over out wide.

Then it was a deft grubber kick with the outside of his right boot from Lewis Charnock which caught the Cougars defence off-guard, with Dallimore sprinting through and dotting down behind the posts.

But this did not prove a cue to the floodgates opening and, having won the ball back from the short kick-off, Keighley were able to exert some pressure and were only denied a try when Shane Toal tackled opposite number Andrew Gabriel into touch.

Indeed, it was not until a 32nd-minute penalty from Charnock that the scoreboard was trouble again after Dan Toal had been the victim of a dump tackle from Matty Beharrell.

The defensive line was eventually broken just before half time though, with Fieldhouse going on a mazy run to dot down behind the posts and give scrum half Charnock a simple shot at goal.

Declan Hulme then powered in from around 30 metres out following a penalty to Barrow six minutes into the second half, only for the sin-binning of the elder of the Toal brothers to give Keighley a glimpse of a way back into the game.

Despite Brook's try and Beharrell's conversion, Cougars' reign as League One Cup holders was destined to come to an end, and Andy Litherland's try three minutes from time and a second successful penalty goal from Charnock put the seal on the win for the Raiders.

Bloomfield Road looms large in the distance then, but there is still one more step to take on the journey there.

Barrow Raiders: Ryan Fieldhouse 7; Shane Toal 7, Declan Hulme 7, Andy Litherland 7, Luke Cresswell 7; Jamie Dallimore 7, Lewis Charnock 7; Joe Bullock 7, Nathan Mossop 7, Ollie Wilkes 7, Bradd Crellin 7, Jarrad Stack 8, Martin Aspinwall 7.

Interchange (all used): Dan Abram 7, Dan Toal 6, Andrew Dawson 7, Tom Walker 7.

Keighley Cougars: Ritchie Hawkyard; Vinny Finnigan, Davey Dixon, Adam Ryder, Andrew Gabriel; William Milner, Matty Beharrell; Scott Law, James Feather, Francis Welsh, Joshua Lynam, Josh Tonks, Michael Emmett.

Interchange (all used): Brendon Rawlins, Adam Brook, Matthew Bailey, Brad Nicholson.

Referee: Nick Bennett.

Attendance: 828.

STAR MAN

Jarrad Stack: The second row has quickly become a key member of the Raiders pack since joining in the off-season, and again produced a outstanding display in both attack and defence.

PLAYBACK

TWO MINUTES: Luke Cresswell try, 4-0.

SIX MINUTES: Jamie Dallimore try, Lewis Charnock conversion, 10-0.

32 MINUTES: Charnock penalty, 12-0.

40 MINUTES: Ryan Fieldhouse try, 16-0.

46 MINUTES: Declan Hulme try, Charnock conversion, 22-0.

50 MINUTES: Dan Toal sin-binned (professional foul).

51 MINUTES: Adam Brook try, Matty Beharrell conversion, 22-6.

77 MINUTES: Andy Litherland try, 26-6.

80 MINUTES: Charnock penalty, 28-6).