KEIGHLEY Cougars boss Paul March has told his side they must be on the money from the outset in Saturday's iPro Sport Cup final against York City Knights.

The high-riding Cougars' seven-match winning streak came to a crashing end at London Skolars last week as they trailed 18-0 en route to a surprise 30-20 League One loss.

March, the former Knights player-boss, took some of the blame for the defeat having rotated his side in readiness for Saturday's high noon duel, but, having seen his team also start slowly the last time they met York, 20-0 down at half-time in a 20-12 Challenge Cup defeat at Bootham Crescent, he has made it clear they have to be out of the blocks quickly this time.

He said: “It’s about who turns up with the right attitude and we need a reaction to the London game from the players.

“Hopefully it’s a positive one because York are a good side and if you don’t turn up with the right attitude you get burnt – as we saw at London last weekend.

“We need to make sure we come out of the blocks from the first minute because you can’t give a start to a quality side like York, as we showed by our trip there in the Challenge Cup.

“We’ve got to be on the ball and if we do then it should be a good game.”

March admitted the performance of some players will cost them a place in the 17 at Bloomfield Road.

“The lads knew they were all playing for shirts for Blackpool last weekend," he said.

“We left a few people out and Jode Sheriffe didn’t play because he’s had a screw out of his ankle but he will be ready to go for the final.

“We had to leave out John Oakes last week because he always struggles with his back on that kind of (artificial) surface.

“He’s now available so we have people to come back in but others let themselves down.

“I take some responsibility for that in terms of rotating the side, but everyone has had an equal opportunity to stake a claim for the shirt.

“There will be some disappointed lads when we name the team – but the ball was in their court with their performance at London.

“We’ve been looking forward to this and obviously over the past few weeks we have been rotating players and getting ready for the final.

“But last week was a massive disappointment and we’re looking to be putting that right."

In-form centre Hamish Barnes again misses out with a shoulder injury, but former Super League winger Paul White returns, while half-back Liam Darville could replace Adam Brook alongside veteran schemer Paul Handforth.

Keighley: from R Hawkyard, Finigan, R Sheriffe, Martin, White, Darville, Handforth, Law, Feather, Rawlins, Lynam, Oakes, Lindsay, D Hawkyard, Peltier, J Sheriffe, Ollett, Cherryholme, Brook, Crowther.