Graeme Sheffield feels it would be terrible if Keighley were to be relegated in their first SSE North One East season.

The Rose Cottage club are five points and one place above the drop zone with four matches to go.

Keighley are at basement club Durham City on Saturday, April 20 - the last day of the regular season.

But Middlesbrough, who are just below Keighley and would realistically send them down if they finished above them, are at Durham City on Saturday and second-from-bottom Darlington on Saturday, April 13.

Keighley’s other three matches are at home to leaders Beverley on Saturday, followed by tough derbies at third-placed Morley (April 6) and at home to fifth-placed Cleckheaton (April 13), while Boro host Morpeth (eighth) on April 6 and visit Pocklington (seventh) on April 13.

Sheffield said: “It would be terrible if we went down because I am sure we would do better next season if we stayed up and also because of the infrastructure we have put in place.

“But we had a good win last time out at Malton & Norton (38-29) and we welcomed the week off last week as it gave our young men the chance to recover.

“We lost 49-10 at Beverley in November, and they are where they are because of what they are, but we competed for the whole game and we are at home this time, which hopefully will count for something.”

Sheffield also paid tribute to veteran prop Paul Sinfield.

He said: “‘Slim’ was our man of the match at Malton & Norton and one or two of our younger players could learn a thing or two from him.

“Paul clearly loves his rugby, he has found something that he can do well in terms of being a prop and scrummaging, he gets around the field and I like to think that we have looked after him and he has looked after us.

“He isn’t available every week because of work but if only he had shown the same attitude earlier in his career.”

Keighley expect to select from strength and will have Ashley Waligura back in contention.

Keighley (home to Beverley) from: H Titley; S Walker, B Blackwell, M Ferrazzano, A Sutcliffe; A Brown, L McGee; C Spencer, W Armitage, P Sinfield, C Morris, R Clarke, D Iliff, A Waligura, S Inman, S Dyson, L Sugden, S Minikin, J Hannah, R Wilkinson.