BIRKENHEAD PARK will be keen to take their recent good form into the New Year with two important home games on the first two Saturdays in January.

Waterloo are first up on January 5 followed by the visit of league leaders Chester the following week.

Before that, Park are to host the Old Birkonians on Friday at 6pm with Chester due the following day for the Cheshire Cup semi-final at 2pm.

Park looked to be heading firmly for the drop in National Three North after losing their first eight games and were 11 points adrift of Kendal at the end of October.

Since then, Park have won four and drawn one of their next six games to move off the foot of the table above Kendal and West Hartlepool and within striking distance of Waterloo, Burnage and Bradford & Bingley.

Director of rugby John McNally said: “The improvement in the side has been remarkable but we still have a massive task in front of us. “The relegation battle looks set to be a real dogfight and we will have to maintain our performance levels at those we showed against Lymm and Rossendale.

“The players have worked extremely hard and we are focussed on staying in this league. The spirit in the side is building week on week and captain Dave Hall and coach Shaun Woof should take credit. Another key figure has been Dave Ibbotson who missed the first part of the season through injury but is now back to his best.”

The improvement in the first team has been mirrored by the Wanderers side who were also winless at the end of October but they have won their last three games in the Bateman BMW Premier.

The women’s team, the Panthers, are now playing just one level below the Premiership and won their latest match 64-0 against Carlisle and are in fourth place.