Leigh RMI preview by Martyn Hindley
STEVE Waywell has challenged his Leigh RMI side to show some desire this week as two crucial games look set to tee up the Railwaymen for the remainder of the season.
Waywell was incensed in the South East on Monday as his side were distinctly second best to Woking just 48 hours after hammering Burton Albion. Such inconsistency could cost them dear in the final shake-up, which is why they have to get it right this week against Margate and Southport.
"They (Woking) wanted it more than us on Monday and we need to learn to cut out the individual mistakes," admitted the manager.
"After a performance like the one on Saturday, you would have thought that players would be chomping at the bit to get back on the field again bu they weren't and that's what disappoints me."
Leigh have now conceded 10 goals in their opening four matches despite the fact that the back four looked the most promising feature of the pre-season matches.
Some hope
But the home tie with Margate offers some hope on Saturday. The Kent coast side will no doubt struggle this year after being relocated from their Hartsdown Park ground and they will be sure to be alongside RMI in the relegation shake-up at the end of the campaign.
Leigh have an embarrassing FA Trophy exit at the hands of Chris Kinnear's men to avenge from last February but an even more sorry tale to recall when they travel to Haig Avenue, Southport on Tuesday evening.
They played the Sandgrounders with one man extra last season, but still came away with a 5-0 drubbing. Now would be the perfect time to set the record straight, as Waywell himself admits: "At the moment, you can't blame systems or free-kicks or anything like that, its all about individuals not performing and we are going to have to change that pretty quickly. We have to be more consistent. If I was a player who had just put out a terrible performance like that, I would be eager to put things right and we have to do that against Margate, there is no doubt about it."
Neil Fitzhenry will have time to think about his Woking nightmare as he starts a three-match ban on Saturday, but the rest of the squad should be unchanged from the one that made the long and fruitless journey south on Monday.
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