Leigh RMI 1 Stevenage 3 by David Magilton: NEVER-say-die will be RMI's motto until the end of the season.

They have just 12 games left to turn round their fortunes, and although manager Phil Starbuck remains optimistic, their future in the Conference appears anything but secure.

They are seven points adrift of the safety zone and their recent form of just one win and seven defeats in their last eight matches, has relegation written all over it.

Yet their spirit and battling qualities can not be questioned, as they displayed against big-spending Stevenage, but class tells in the end and cash-strapped Leigh are paying for their limited budget.

As Starbuck admitted: "It is a massive uphill struggle, particularly when you look what we are up against -- teams that are full-time, big budgets with good players and our circumstances are very different.

"But over the last few games the lads have given us everything. They have worked hard and competed.

"We have to continue to compete to the end of the season. We owe it to ourselves. There are still 12 games to play."

Leigh went behind at a crucial time, just two minutes from the break, when Dean Brennan's corner was headed home by former RMI striker Dino Maamria.

The result looked a foregone conclusion when Stevenage added a second 10 minutes into the second-half. Jon Brady's quickly taken free-kick caught Leigh's defence unprepared, and he found the unmarked Anthony Elding, who gave Ian Martin no chance.

The introduction of Mario Daniel injected new life into the attack and his speed and skill finally tested the visitors' defence.

It was Daniel's cross which found David McNiven free in the box, and his 20th Conference strike of the season came on the hour when he fired home across the face of the goal.

Ian Martin came to RMI's rescue four minutes later when Steve Redmond was adjudged to have brought down Justin Richards in the area, but Maamria's spot-kick was well-saved by the keeper.

Any hopes of an RMI comeback were dashed in the 70th minute when Redmond was dispossessed by Maamria, who set Richards up for a simple tap-in.