Cougars coach Barry Eaton is looking to repay the club’s support by beating Widnes in the Northern Rail Cup semi-finals on Sunday.

Keighley kicked off the Co-operative Championship season with a nine-point deduction and Eaton believes the last-four clash presents an ideal chance to put on a show for the home fans and reach next month’s final in Blackpool.

“It gives us the opportunity to thank all our loyal fans who have stuck by us through adversity this season by producing a strong performance against Widnes,” he said.

“We always knew that we would have to start the season with a points deduction but the Northern Rail Cup gave us the opportunity to start on a level playing field with other teams in the competition.”

The Cougars are now just 80 minutes away from a final appearance but Eaton admits his side will have to be at their best to overcome a Vikings team who have lifted the trophy twice in the last three years.

“It is fantastic to be drawn at home in such a high-profile game,” said Eaton.

“We had the luck of a home draw in the quarters and again in the semis but we’re up against the favourites so we will need to play right up to our potential.

“We may need a bit of fortune. We have had a few key decisions go against us in the last few games, so we’ll need a reversal of that this time around.”