Stevenage Borough 3 Leigh RMI 1 by David Magilton: RMI boss Mark Patterson is looking for his side to make amends for a woeful second-half performance when they take on Dagenham and Redbridge tonight.

The Railwaymen led 1-0 at the break and looked in control, but three defensive blunders cost them dear as Anthony Elding grabbed a hat-trick for the relegation rivals.

The defeat leaves Leigh struggling in the bottom three, while Stevenage were able to open a three point gap. A win in tonight's game in hand is vital to RMI's survival hopes.

"We did really well in the first half but after the break we made three defensive blunders and it cost us," complained Patterson. "It was the worst 45 minutes since Christmas. We lacked passion and leadership and I have told the players I will be looking for them to make amends tonight.

"They have to prove to me that was a one-off. It is disappointing because we should have come away with a result.

"We have a game in hand on our rivals and we have to make it count."

RMI played with just one striker in Neil Campbell but took the lead after 10 minutes.

Phil Salt's corner from the right was cleared to the edge of the area by Jason Goodliffe and big defender Wayne Maden was on hand to lash home with a low left-footed shot.

Boro' had been restricted to just Sam McMahon's deflected shot early on but the balance of the game was tipped by a double sending-off shortly after the half hour mark.

Martyn Lancaster got himself involved in an unsightly tangle with home striker Tony Battersby and both were sent off. It was bitter blow for Leigh as the influential defender will be suspended for the last three crucial games of the season.

Elding had thundered two efforts inches wide of Stuart Coburn's right-hand post moments before the red cards, but he made amends after the break - levelling the scores seven minutes into the second half - elegantly lobbing the goalkeeper.

The turnaround was complete less than two minutes later when Elding drilled home from 20 yards to put Graham Westley's men ahead. Elding completed a miserable day with a clinical header 20 minutes from time.