RMI have failed in an audacious bid to sign young hotshot Chris Ward from Barrow.

Manager Steve Waywell is struggling to find a partner for the in-form Dino Maamria up front with Tony Black and Damien Whitehead firing blanks, and was expected to recruit the former Lancaster City and Birmingham City forward ahead of Tuesday's game with Nuneaton.

Yet despite confidence about wresting him from the UniBond Premier Division club the deal fell through - with RMI pledging to renew a bid for the highly-rated 21-year-old in the near future.

Mixed news surrounds the remainder of the Leigh squad though. While Waywell and the management team will be celebrating news that defender Gerry Harrison should be fit in just four weeks following a knee operation on Tuesday, he received a blow when full-back Chris Cornelly returned to Ashton United.

That aside, Leigh should have a full squad to play with when they make back-to-back journeys this week in a quest to overturn their disastrous start to the season away from Hilton Park.

Farnborough should provide a tough test at the Aimita Stadium in deepest Hampshire on Saturday after they grabbed an impressive last minute victory at Barnet in midweek, whilst Scarborough - Leigh's opponents on Tuesday evening - are yet to be beaten at the McCain Stadium and are a much better side than they were when RMI hammered five goals there last November.

By Martyn Hindley