CROSS Keys need to triumph on English soil in the coming 10 days if they are to keep their British and Irish Cup hopes alive.

The Pandy Park outfit travel to Bedford on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3pm) before locking horns with the Cornish Pirates in Penzance a week on Sunday in Pool Four of the cross-border competition.

Keys suffered a home 37-32 defeat to Doncaster on opening weekend, although they did have the consolation of a pair of bonus points.

Bedford were also edged out by a late Pirates score so the losers at Goldington Road will face an uphill struggle to make the quarter-finals.

"The minimum requirement is two points from these games away from home but in all honesty we will probably need at least one win," said Keys head coach Greg Woods.

"We have got to stay in contention, it's a high-pressure game at Bedford and we've got to go there all guns blazing.

"I was really pleased with our performance last weekend, and to fight for two bonus points was massive, but we've got to take it up another level.

"They will be a different challenge to Doncaster because Bedford are renowned in the Championship for playing with a high tempo and with

width."

Keys plan to field an unchanged XV from the Doncaster defeat and are set to be boosted by young Newport Gwent Dragons forwards Scott Matthews and Scott Andrews providing cover on the bench.

Flanker Matthews was unavailable last weekend while lock Andrews was an unused replacement in Edinburgh after a quick tap with 30 seconds remaining deprived him of the chance to get on the field for a regional debut.

Eleven of the Keys players against Doncaster are on the books of the Dragons and Woods was delighted with how the new-look side performed.

"I thought that we came a long way in a week and the effort, attitude and commitment of the boys that came in was excellent," he said.

"Our errors cost us a big scalp so we need to cut them out tomorrow while our defence has to tighten up."

Bedford are coached by former Wales and Cardiff full-back/fly-half Mike Rayer and are set to include former Keys fly-half Steffan Jones, who is on loan from the Dragons, in their squad.

Cross Keys (likely): G R Jones, A Hewitt, L Andrews (captain), B Nightingale, P Uhi, D Jones, L Jones, P Price, R Buckley, D Young, D Hodge, S Williams, J Skinner, O Griffiths, A Powell.