CRAIG Lingard has spoken of the need to back up a fantastic Challenge Cup performance with a win at strugglers West Wales Raiders in League One on Saturday.

The coach's Keighley Cougars side exited the competition after a valiant effort in a narrow 14-12 loss to local rivals Bradford Bulls.

Lingard's said he was proud of his players, but insists the focus is now on shifting that strong performance into the league and admits he isn't "bothered" about dropping out of the cup.

He said: "We've got what we wanted out of that game. We got a real good crowd down there, we probably got some new supporters and returning supporters who've not been down there for quite a while.

"I'm hoping they've enjoyed what they've seen and they're going to come back again. We put a performance in against a really tough Championship side and we pushed them close.

"I've said before, it's not a defeatist attitude, but it's a realistic one: we're not going to win the cup, it's just the way it is."

Attention now turns to a crunch tie against West Wales Raiders who has lost five in five so far this season.

Lingard is keen not to let his side become complacent, after competing all the way with Championship opponents on Sunday.

He likened the scenario to top football sides who have a league and European cup game in quick succession and how it's rare for sides to get a win in both.

The coach added: "We know the importance of backing up a big game, like we played against Bradford.

"We're certainly not going down to there thinking we've just to turn up to win, because if we do that, we're going to get beat."

A number of Cougars players have been battered and bruised from the Bulls tie, but the team are switched on to the importance of a long trip to play the Raiders.

Their hosts are yet to bag a point and sit one place above the Cougars who could claw the deficit to a surmountable five points with a win.

Lingard said: "We're just really focused on getting to this zero as soon as we can.

"I think with the way that we're playing, the way that we're performing and the atmosphere that we've created within the club and within the team, we're really confident in getting these points knocked of really quickly.

"It's going to be difficult once we've done that, but we'll reassess where we are, see how many games we've got left and see how many points are available to us and we'll have a good dig to try get in those play-offs.

"First and foremost, we've got to try and get into plus points as soon as we possibly can."