Leigh RMI 1 Scarborough 1

LEIGH RMI had to face the elements as well as a Scarborough side desperate to avoid relegation.

RMI were up against a strong wind in Monday's first half, but after the break a storm blew up which turned the wind around.

Michael Twiss struck his 18th goal of the season two minutes after the restart and although they were penned in their own half for much of the second period they hung on and loooked like grabbing the points until the Seasiders managed a last-gasp equaliser.

The point was much more important to Scarborough who are desperately clinging on to Conference survival. They had only themselves to blame for not taking all three because they dominated territorially but some woeful finishing cost them dear.

The Railwaymen also had chances and Marcus Hallows in particular was guilty of missing a couple of easy chances.

Shook off

Twiss, who had been contained well in the first-half finally shook off his markers two minutes after the restart when he cracked home a fierce drive from the edge of the box.

The Seasiders threw everything at RMI but with Neil Durkin again producing a master class in defending the home side looked to have held on until Karl Rose pounced on a through ball and chipped a helpless keeper. Fortunately the lost points are not too much of a concern to manager Steve Waywell whose side are in a comfortable mid-table position. "I couldn't believe how the conditions changed in the second half," he said. "They are a boring side who try to bully sides and intimidate the referee and I don't like teams like that.

"If they think it will keep them up then fair enough but it will not win them anything. "It was a great ball from Steve Thompson for Twiss and a great finish which was fit to win any game.

"But playing against the wind and rain in the second half we could not get the ball out. It was a battle and we did well to hold them as long as we did."