LIONS will be aiming to complete a vital double when they start 2008 with a trip to Reading in South West One tomorrow (2.30pm).

David Dunn's strugglers ended a run of seven straight league defeats when they drubbed the Berkshire outfit 31-17 at Chapel Gate on November 3.

And after ending 2007 on a high note with victory against fellow relegation battlers St Ives, Dunn will be hoping to see his charges move clear of the drop zone with a win at Holme Park.

Dunn said: "It's a massive game for us and we're confident having already beaten them once this season.

"But they've had two victories over Redingensians this season and that has put them in big trouble now, so it's a real four-pointer for us."

Lions, however, are still very much in the relegation mire and face tough tests against Oxford Harlequins and Old Patesians before the end of January.

"It's a real topsy-turvy league," Dunn told the Echo.

"Oxford Harlequins have had two or three good results, but one or two bad ones and they have got to come to us, as have Maidenhead.

"We've got to go to Coney Hill and Cleve have to come to us. It's so open and there's no real whipping boys - it's all about who puts a string of results together."

Stuart Ramsey returns to the fold for the visit to Berkshire, while Iain Crombie drops to the twos for their Canterbury Shield clash against Richmond at Chapel Gate. Anthony Dunkerley is also included in Dunn's squad, but Eddy Edwards misses out.

Fly-half Jon Sanchez, meanwhile, is included in the twos squad after making his comeback from a broken leg in the Canterbury Shield against Portsmouth last month.

Lions: (from) Burns, Cawley, Chislett, Davies, Dunkerley, Flynn, Frost, Gray, Hardcastle, Hughes, Kenny, Kiely, Manning, Payne, Ramsey, Seward, Siaki, Ulu.

  • OAKMEADIANS and Wimborne can move back into the Southern Counties South promotion mix this weekend - if they can come out on top at high-flyers Trowbridge and Wootton Bassett respectively (2.15pm).

Both Dorset sides have won three of their past four league clashes and both are just four points adrift of Frome in second place.