LEIGH RMI were left kicking their heels on Boxing Day as the home leg of their festive double-header with Northwich became a victim of the weather on Boxing Day.

The white Christmas left Leigh fans feeling the blues but as fans assisted the groundstaff in sweeping snow off the Hilton Park pitch, fears about a frozen area of the outfield and slippery terraces forced a postponement in mid-morning.

Now the Railwaymen must open 2005 with their first meeting against the Vics this season, and it kicks off a month in which the two sides could become well acquainted. "Of course, we would have liked to have played on Boxing Day but safety comes first and it wasn't to be", said Northwich boss Steve Burr.

"But now we have the re-arranged game plus the New Year's Day match at our place and then we play in the League Cup at the end of January as well so we could get to know RMI inside out", he added.

RMI are in perilous trouble at the foot of the Conference and despite manager Geoff Lutley's protests to the contrary, they will see Saturday's Drillfield clash as their last chance saloon

They have only lost once in ten meetings with the Cheshire side since being promoted from the Unibond Premier League in 2000 but a doubling of that tally would set the wheels in motion for Conference North preparations next time around.

Meanwhile, the FA have confirmed that Leigh will receive no recompense for Tamworth's breach of the rules when the two sides met last month.

The Lambs fielded an ineligible player, James Francis, as they emerged 3-2 winners at Hilton Park. But whilst they have been penalised points, RMI will not get the chance to replay the game despite the fact that Francis teed up the decisive goal for Bob Taylor.