It’s been a busy February for the local, rugby clubs, across Nottinghamshire, as they head into the final stretch of league games, and a handful of sides are still in with a shout of promotion, or even a title.

However, that’s not quite the case in the Regional 2 Midlands North, the county’s highest placed side, West Bridgford (11-1-7) are sitting in fourth place, but a sizable twenty-two points off leaders Lichfield having lost three of their last four outings.

A 33-23 success at home to Ilkeston on Saturday stemmed a tide which had seen Bridgy fall to Melbourne (18-10), Lichfield (29-14), and local rivals Newark (52-26), in recent weeks; speaking of Newark (9-1-9), they’re sitting in sixth, on forty-nine points with a split record thus far.

That has been shown in their last four outings which has seen them post a WLWL tally, the two victories being a 38-24 success over Ilkeston, and that doubling in victory away to West Bridgford.

At the bottom end of the table Paviors (7-1-11) are in tenth place and were soundly beaten, 60-5, at home to Tamworth in their last outing, that coming on the back of their only tied game, a 15-15 score with Matlock, whilst Mellish (1-0-18) are in eleventh place, two points above bottom club Tamworth, having lost their last three outings.

Southwell, at the top end of Counties 1 Midlands East (North) find themselves in a similar situation to West Bridgford in the division above, sitting in fourth place, and twenty-one points off the leaders, in this case, Belgrave.

They have however won their last two outings, having defeated visitors Burton IIs 45-10, and winning 43-13 at Kesteven; beneath them in the table it’s Nottingham Moderns down in ninth, and Mansfield sitting eleventh, three points above bottom club Burton.

In the lower divisions, Notts clubs are very active at the top end of their divisions with Keyworth and Nottingham Casuals in the top four of the Counties 2 Midlands East (North), and West Bridgford IIs, Southwell IIs, and Bingham, in the top four of the Counties 2 Midlands East (Central).

Keyworth are battling Ashby at the top of the former of those two divisions, the leaders having a slender, five-point advantage whilst also winning their last five outings, the last two being a 62-12 romp away to bottom club Ashfield, and a 42-20 success at home to Ashbourne.

Nottm Casuals meanwhile, perched in fourth, sixteen off the leaders, won their last outing 25-10 when home to Derby IIs; Ashfield are joined in the bottom three by tenth place Newark IIs.

As for the latter of the divisions, West Bridgford IIs have led the way most of the season, and hold a nine-point advantage on second place Southwell going into the home straight;

boasting sixteen wins from their eighteen outings, Bridgy IIs have won their last eight (nine with a walkover against Mellish IIs) whilst posting a score of 279-78, defeating East Retford 90-19 in early February, and Leesbrook 87-24 in their last outing.

Southwell IIs are just about keeping pace and have won their last three (fourteen wins overall), a 24-7 win at home to Ilkeston IIs coming last time around; of the other Notts clubs in the division Bingham are fourth, eighteen points off second, Nottinghamians are seventh, Mellish IIs tenth, and Nottingham Moderns IIs eleventh (bottom).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @BridgyRugby the West Bridgford team are fourth in their league.