AFC Mansfield boss Paul Rockley returns for crucial relegation battle at former club Eastwood CFC

The Bulls are just three points adrift of Eastwood with four games in hand and Rockley, who quit the Red Badgers in September, said: “I am looking forward to returning. At the end of the day during my stint there I worked hard, as did my staff and my players. But I am now AFC Mansfield manager and I need to go there with a game plan and get three points.”

On Saturday AFC gained a valuable point in a 0-0 draw with Leicester Nirvana and Rockley said: “Overall it was a really good point and I think the lads have really come together in the last two games, worked hard and shown some togetherness - now the challenge is to go out and do it again and again.

“I thought the lads grafted really well. Nirvana put us under a bit pressure in the first half and we rode the storm.

“Second half we took it to them and were better for half an hour and had a goal disallowed which I saw nothing wrong with. But a sin-bin killed off any real chance of us winning, though we were still dangerous with only 10 players on the pitch.”

Selston remain bottom after a 1-0 six-pointer home loss to second-bottom Heather St John’s was followed by a 2-0 home defeat by Melton Town.

Boss Craig Weston said: “The results are not what we wanted as we're running out of games and we need some points a bit sharpish. It is going to be a big ask

“But we hope it will turn if we keep putting in performances like we have the last four games.”