By Matt Lawton
March 23 2006

RMI's desperation to avoid relegation rises another notch on Friday night when North West rivals Hyde United are the visitors to Hilton Park. RMI go in to the game sitting in the second relegation spot from Conference North, two points behind safety & Redditch United with time running out on the season.

RMI were dealt a huge blow on Tuesday evening when relegation rivals Worksop, with whom RMI drew 3-3 last weekend after being 3-0 down at the break, managed to pull off a shock victory at home to big spenders Droylsden.

Friday night Hyde boss Steve Waywell return to Hilton Park in a managerial capacity for the first time since leaving the club several years ago in the midst of their Conference adventure. Waywell is without doubt the most successful manager in the club’s history, guiding RMI to promotion from the old Unibond Division One before the heady days of promotion to the Conference in 2000 after a terrific season, along with a couple of excellent FA Cup runs and a fantastic debut season in the Conference, finishing 5th in 2001.

This isn’t the first time that the sides have met this season though when a thoroughly entertaining encounter was played out at Ewen Fields in November, when RMI took an early lead only to fall 3-1 behind in the second half until Andy Nelson’s side mounted a terrific late comeback to claim a share of the points in a 3-3 draw.

Every game for the rest of the season is truly a cup final for RMI, and support is needed from the terraces as much as ever. The club recognise this, and as such have allowed under 16’s to gain free admittance to Friday’s game if accompanied by a full paying adult, whilst local MP Andy Burnham has shown his support for the club by being the match sponsor for the evening, while £1 of every adult admittance will be donated to Wigan & Leigh Hospice.

Get to down to Hilton Park and make yourselves heard - up the Leythers!