By Matt Lawton
December 25 2003

The Railwaymen make the relatively short Bank Holiday trip to the Welsh border to face high flying Chester City on Boxing Day, desperate to try and get back on track following last weekend's 2-1 home defeat to Lancashire rivals Accrington Stanley. RMI are still struggling near the foot of the Conference and, although North West rivals Northwich Victoria are well adrift at the bottom of the league, RMI are by no means close to safety and will be desperate to recover from their disappointing performance in the home defeat to Accrington.

However, Leigh RMI boss Phil Starbuck has been dealt a huge blow with the news that England Semi Pro international centre back Neil Durkin will miss the game after picking up a groin injury against Accrington.

Also missing for RMI will be on loan striker Ian Fitzpatrick, who is suffering from an ankle ligament injury, which will, in all likelihood, mean that former Hamilton Academicals striker, and RMI top scorer, David McNiven will be reverted to playing on his own up front, as had been the case for much of the season.

Chester manager Mark Wright is expected to field an unchanged side from the one that thrashed Tamworth 5-1 last weekend, with the only worry for the former Liverpool defender and Southport boss being the absence of regular goalkeeper Wayne Brown, who is sidelined with a foot injury.

RMI will be desperate to avenge for last season's embarrassingly easy 4-0 home defeat to Chester, and, although they know it will be no easy task by any stretch of the imagination, they also know that victory certainly isn't impossible, and that point will have been re-inforced to them by Starbuck over the Christmas period.