PAUL Crarey expects each encounter against Keighley Cougars to get tougher and tougher for Barrow Raiders as they prepare to face their familiar foes in tonight's Challenge Cup fourth-round tie (kick-off 6.30pm).

This will already be the second time the sides have met this year, with Raiders having won last month's pre-season friendly 46-18, and with further encounters to come in the League One Cup quarter-finals and the league in the next two months.

It is likely Barrow and Keighley could end up squaring off again come the Super Eights too, and Raiders head coach Crarey is in no doubt that familiarity makes it harder to find ways to beat them.

“You study a team for a week on video, but when the League One Cup comes along it will be the third meeting with them already and we'll probably get another meeting with them in the Super Eights,” said Crarey.

“We know each other, we both know how we play and the games get tougher because we suss each other out.

"It's not a one-off game where you work all week for one team, it will be the third time we've prepared for each other, so it's tougher to break sides down, they know your little traits and your plays, so you've got to come up with something different in each of the games you play them.

“We know all about them, we know all about what they do, and they know all about what we do. The big thing for us is we've got a great home crowd who will get behind us, everyone wants us to progress and we want to bring a big side to Craven Park to get some revenue in for the club.”

In particular, Crarey is eager to get through and earn a home draw against one of the four Super League sides who come into the competition in round five, although he is well aware Keighley will come to Craven Park with exactly the same motivation.

Craig Lingard's side will also be aiming to make a statement after their surprise 46-22 defeat away to University of Gloucestershire All Golds last Sunday, with Crarey under no illusions about how much of a response to expect.

“It's the same for both sides,” he said. “We want to progress in every competition to get money through the gates and for our fans, and they'll want the same.

“But the added thing to this game is they put in a poor performance at Gloucester and, no disrespect to Gloucester, but I think it would have been a lot closer if Keighley had turned up, and they will turn up against us.

“Everybody who plays us tightens their belts and gets ready for a tussle, and they know how hard it is coming to Barrow. We know what it's like to have a poor mind-set against southern teams – it becomes a grind, and it can go either way.

“Their mindset will be totally different in that changing room when they roll out at Craven Park. They'll be on it and Craig Lingard will want a reaction to that poor performance, as will the crowd and the board. We are preparing for a really, really tough game.”

Crarey once again stressed the importance of how Barrow's squad approach this cup tie, which he believes could have been Keighley's undoing having seen it happen to his own side against League One's southern teams in the past.

“Keighley probably thought they would go to Gloucester and win; we know what it's like to go to Gloucester,” said Crarey, who is reading nothing into his side's victory against the Cougars in pre-season.

“(All Golds head coach) Lee Greenwood has them well-organised, they'll come at you and control the rucks, and play basic at times around there and limit their errors, and they've got a massive pack. You only have to slip and give them a sniff, and they're away.

“What we expect this week is a reaction from Keighley, because they are a wounded animal and their pride has been dented. But we got beaten in London and our reaction was to go there two weeks later and win by 50, so it can be done.

“A week is nothing to turn things around and they'll come with a purpose to give us a run for our money, and our games are always tight. Even in pre-season, we probably blew them away, but we used 22 players in that game, so fatigue will be a factor this week and we will prepare for a really tough fixture.”

The draw for the fifth round of the Challenge Cup will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Five Live's Breakfast Show on Tuesday, from 7.45am.

Former Great Britain and Wigan player Jason Robinson OBE is the special guest for the draw and will conduct it along with Breakfast Show presenter Rachel Burden.

The remaining teams from this weekend's round of fixtures will be joined in the draw by Super League sides Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants and Leigh Centurions.