Today see’s the first team return to action for the first time since the third of December as they travel to face fourth from bottom, Nottingham FC. RBL go into their first match in two months, having seen South Normanton cancel last week’s fixture, as their seven available players needed to fix a water leak in their changing rooms, which, unbelievably, started just hours before the match was due to start.

With the teams around them managing to get games played in the time missed by the lions, they have ground to make up, but games in hand to do it in. Nottingham returned to action a week early with a defeat to Singh Brothers last week.

In their last match, RBL faced a tough match against Graham Street Prims. A Liam Oliver Penalty and a stunner from Jordy Lee turned out to be enough as Prims saw a late equaliser ruled out for offside. The win saw RBL close the gap on Prims, with another four games in hand. The Lions sit in fourth spot, with eleven points to make up on Pinxton in top spot and four games in hand. Three points in today's match are essential in order to keep up with the top teams, with the added pressure of not repeating the new year slump that occurred last January.

Nottingham will be looking to pick themselves up after a 3-2 home defeat against Singh Brothers last week. Goals from Jordan Lambert and Kye Wade were not enough to take any points in a close match. Nottingham go into todays match looking for their first win in five after picking up just one point from their last four matches.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The two sides last met in May, where RBL ran away comfortable victors, as two goals from Matt Green were followed by Dean Oliver and Josh Wright to take a 4-1 victory at Melbourne Park.

It was a similar story in October of that season as the Lions won 3-0 at the legion. A Jordan Lee hat trick doing the damage this time around.

ONTO TODAY

With a large gap forming between RBL and the teams above them, the lions need to make up this lost ground and keep taking points from their main matches before the games in hand come into play.

The Lions, having had a few weeks off, will aim to get the year off to a good start after rounding off 2022 in style with an away win over Graham Street Prims.

Nottingham will desperately need some points on the board to pull away from the relegation spots.

The match kicks off at 2pm.

See you then