AFTER some heroic struggles against top opposition in the last few weeks the Invicta Dynamos can look forward to taming the Nottingham Lions at the Gillingham Ice Bowl on Sunday (5.15pm). The Lions would be better named the Cubs such is the youth and inexperience of this amateur team, whose average age is just 19 and who pay to play.

But the all-British squad are earning a reputation as hard-workers and a team of the future in only their second season in the English National Premier League. The last time they met in early December the Mos strolled out comfortable 9-1 winners and defenceman Sean Clement is expecting much of the same.

He said: "They have not done terrifically well but it will still be an entertaining, fun game and we are just looking forward to getting back out there on the ice and picking up some more points." The Mos have a fully fit squad but will be without Duane Ward who has gone back to his family home outside Ottawa in Canada for Christmas.

Team manager Andy Hannah said: "This was arranged at the start of the season and with it being Nottingham it is not as vital having him as it would have been had our fixture been say Romford or Solihull. He'll be back for the New Year."

No other team in the league has conceded more goals than Nottingham, 146 in 18 games, but the youngsters never let their heads go down and will put up a fight against the new league leaders until the final buzzer.

Then the first game of 2002 will be a trip to Nottingham on Saturday, January 5, before Invicta get their heads down for a make or break spell of five games against the chasing pack of Solihull, Isle of Wight and Swindon.