LEIGH RMI watched themselves slide down the Nationwide Conference without kicking a ball on Boxing Day, and it all serves to up the stakes when they travel to Stalybridge Celtic on New Years Day.

The Bower Fold side dropped into the relegation zone as their reverse clash at Hilton Park was postponed due to a frozen pitch but they trail RMI on goal difference alone and both sides know that the winners of Tuesday's game take the initiative at the start of 2002 as the race to stay in the Conference hots up.

Steve Waywell maintains that he is not concerned at the fate of the Railwaymen after a string of poor results, and his confidence seems well placed if statistics are anything to go by. Leigh are unbeaten in each of their last four meetings with Celtic and were victorious on their last visit to a gloomy Bower Fold on route to a Unibond League championship.

There will be no room for sentiment though in front of a bumper New Years Day crowd, and former Stalybridge player Waywell will need to lift a side that has lost four and drawn one of its last five league games. Kick off is at 3pm.