Manager Jim Nichols is expecting a tough game when Penrith host Ryhope CW.

Penrith are two points behind their opponents but with eight games in hand, ahead of today's clash (3pm kick-off).

But the Bonny Blues boss is still expecting their opponents to be in buoyant mood for the game.

Nichols said: "It will be a tough game.

"They are just above us in the league table and have played a lot more games. But their recent form has actually been quite good."

Despite still having played only 22 Northern League matches this campaign, Penrith don't have any midweek games coming up.

And Nichols added: "If we win, we go above them and up to 13th in the table, I think.

"We don't have a midweek game for the next few weeks, so we will still have those games in hand. We want to be coming into those games in hand in good form."

Mathew Read this week left the club and joined Northbank on Thursday.

Nichols said: "He wanted assurances he would be playing and I could not give him that. I'm hopeful of adding to the squad in the next few weeks."

Meanwhile, the Bonny Blues were knocked out of the League Cup at the third round stage on Tuesday night as they fell to a 4-1 defeat at South Shields, despite a Will Paul goal.

"We knew it was going to be tough. First half, we did alright," Nichols said.

"We had a long chat at half-time, saying we must stay in the game but we did the same thing again [Penrith lost 4-1 at South Shields in the league on Boxing Day]. We have perhaps given them too much respect over the two games."

He added: "That competition was always a tough one for us.

"We played Willington in the first round. But then we played Morpeth and beat them, and then got South Shields in the next round.

"So, we probably played two of the best four teams in those three rounds. Ideally, we would have liked to progress in that.

"But we are still in the Cumberland Cup and want to try to win that."

Nichols still expects to have a strong squad available this afternoon, despite Read's departure.