Lancaster City 1 Leigh RMI 3: TWO goals from Dino Maamria helped RMI to their most impressive win of the pre-season as they saw off the challenge of Lancaster City at the Giant Axe.

Question marks surrounded the fitness of Maamria after he has spent the summer having cortisone injections in a groin injury, and despite this being just his second start of the summer, the Tunisian went part way towards proving the critics wrong by making the difference in this game against former Unibond League adversaries.

His first on eighteen minutes came slightly against the run of play. Andy Whittaker had already missed a relatively straight-forward chance for the hosts before Lee Clitheroe hit an early contender for miss of the season: a lob that beat the Stuart Coburn and crossbar with the net unguarded.

Manager Steve Waywell will have been pleased to have had Coburn back in between the posts after his first choice netminder had missed the last two friendlies with an ankle knock sustained in the friendly win over Bury at Hilton Park.

However, he had precious little to do as RMI took control.

Paul Williams whipped in a good cross from the left that had Mark Thornley in two minds, but Maamria pounced on his indecision to nod home the first on eighteen minutes. The power of Maamria's effort was dwarfed by the ferocity

of Wayne Maden's effort that doubled the cushion: a thunderbolt after James Collins had turned provider on this occasion.

Maden is getting to become a fans favourite already and playing alongside Neil Durkin and Gerry Harrison at the back, the future is looking bright for RMI defensively. With only the one real hiccup - allowing Whittaker a 54th

minute response, they held firm and the side reaped the rewards when Maamria made sure of the win with his second twenty minutes from time.