Leigh RMI 1 Stalybridge 1: PHIL Starbuck would have preferred to have spent this week preparing for Saturday's vital relegation battle with Farnborough.

But instead, another below par performance from RMI, means there is the hurdle of a replay tomorrow night, to get over first.

After four successive Conference defeats, the Leigh manager was hoping a confidence boosting FA Trophy win over Unibond League outfit Stalybridge, would have set his side up for the next three key games.

Instead RMI's season long problem of failing to perform for 90 minutes left Starbuck scratching his head as to the answer.

He admitted: "We are still in the hat, but I am sick of saying and telling the players that we need consistency, and I am coming to the conclusion that some of them are just not good enough.

"The first-half was disappointing again. The second-half was good as far as commitment is concerned. We got the goal back with a superb effort, but we never built on that."

It needed another strike from prolific striker David McNiven, his 16th of the season, to spare Leigh from an early cup exit.

Stalybridge were the best side in the first half ,with big striker Kenny Mayers always a threat. Former Bury Reserves keeper Seb Rowe, brought in because Gary Kelly is injured and Ian Martin suspended, was kept busy, and made a couple of good saves to deny Mayers.

The youngster could do little to prevent Celtic scoring in the 27th minute, when Jerome Fitzgerald's curling cross found Mayers unmarked, and he headed past the keeper.

RMI began the second half with much more urgency and grabbed the equaliser in the 47th minute, when Damien Whitehead's excellent cross was superbly met by the McNiven, who headed into the corner of the net.

Leigh failed to seize the initiative, however, and their only other chance came eight minutes from time when Whitehead's shot was tipped over the bar.

Substitute Andy Heald, a former favourite at Leigh, looked to have grabbed a winner when his left foot shot beat the keeper's dive, only for the ball to rebound off the upright and back into Rowe's arms. Mayers had another excellent opportunity to seal RMI's fate, five minutes from time, but blasted wide.