Barry Eaton believes the Cougars fans will be crucial in helping his side overcome a nine-point deduction.

Keighley have been hit with the maximum possible penalty after going into administration ahead of the Co-operative Championship season.

The Cougars entered administration in December to avoid a winding-up order over an unpaid tax bill and have since faced an agonising wait to discover their fate.

Official confirmation of the Rugby Football League’s decision was only received by the club on Friday, just nine days before their league opener at Widnes.

But head coach Eaton and his players had been preparing for the worst and will not let the news knock their confidence.

Eaton said: “It’s what we were expecting and what we had been preparing for.

“We’ve already discussed it, so we don’t really need to get our heads round it because we were ready for it.

“We just have to keep training hard and working hard and focus on what we’re doing on the pitch.

“From the players’ point of view and my point of view, the fans are very important.

“If they get behind us like they have done in the games so far, they can make a real difference.

“The players have not showed any effects from what has been going on off the field so far.

“We want to make a good start to the league and if we perform well enough we’re capable of winning games.

“I’m an optimistic person and the players are confident in their own ability. We just need to work hard and take it one game at a time.”

The Cougars’ qualification for the quarter-finals of the Northern Rail Cup was today confirmed, even though their final group game at Barrow was postponed due to heavy snowfall.

Widnes Vikings’ victory at Swinton meant the Manchester side could no longer overtake Keighley, guaranteeing Eaton’s side a top-four spot in group one.

But the postponement of their own game could cause problems, with a midweek trip to Barrow now likely to be on the cards.

Eaton said: “We were disappointed we couldn’t play.

“Barrow have a league game on Thursday so we can’t play it this coming midweek but I wouldn’t be too keen to play it on a Wednesday ahead of a weekend game anyway.

“I’m not sure what the rules are with getting these games played but the schedule is going to start to get really hectic.”