ALTHOUGH Keighley are handily placed in Yorkshire Division Two, head coach Danny McGee is not counting any chickens in terms of promotion.

The Rose Cottagers are second in the table by two points from West Leeds and have a game in hand.

However, ahead of Saturday's trip to seventh-placed Ripon, McGee admitted: "We are expecting the second half of the season to be more difficult because teams will not underestimate us.

"We need to challenge ourselves as the surprise element that we had will be gone, and the top four or five could be in the mix at the end."

That would not only put Roundhegians and Moortown into the equation but also fifth-placed Pontefract.

McGee added: "Moortown come to our place on January 23, and if we can beat them it will be put distance between ourselves and the chasers, while our last match of the season on April 23 is at West Leeds but I don't want to look that far ahead.

"I know that it is a cliche but we will taking things one game at a time."

Keighley also have Pontefract to play twice (at Utley on February 27 and away on April 9), while Roundhegians visit on April 16 in what is a potentially season-defining closing three weeks.

And while McGee's side have the second best defence in the North of England – their 54 points conceded in 12 matches is only bettered by Littleborough's 47 in 11 games in Lancashire North – he confesses that defence is not something they have particularly focused on.

McGee said: "While our defence has had quite a bit of attention in the local media and is talked about by the players, it isn't something that we have put a lot of work into.

"It has just happened really. We haven't over-analysed it too much. If we broke it down, we feel it might not work as well.

"If anything, we have worked more on our attack – about trying to be more creative."

Keighley's defence is easily the best in their division (West Leeds are next best with 191 points from 13 matches) but their attack is not too shoddy either, being third best with 398 points from 12 behind Moortown (460 from 14) and West Leeds (413 from 13).

Another advantage for director of rugby Russell Gibson's side as they try to end a two-season spell in the eighth tier is the lack of injuries so far this campaign.

McGee said: "We have been very fortunate in the first half of the season, and I am sure that is down to the lads being stronger and fitter.

"Alex Brown should be back in the new year after a recurrence of his shoulder injury, and Tom Lowther likewise after a knee injury, while Lucas Uren will be out for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury."

On Saturday's test at Ripon, McGee said: "They have some good lads in attack and a decent open-side flanker."