Leigh RMI 0 Nuneaton 1 By David Magilton: STEVE Waywell launched a stinging attack on the state of the Hilton Park pitch after witnessing his side lose their first game in eight outings.

The result hinged on a controversial penalty decision after just two minutes but the RMI manager was more incensed by the state of the playing surface.

"The pitch is a disgrace." he fumed. "The pitch is dead, there is not one piece of it where the ball does not bobble. I hate coming here, I would much prefer to play away from here, which suits our style of play.

"What concerns me is that football and rugby are played on other grounds that have a flat pitch, but here it is prepared for rugby and not football. The grass is too long and it is not rolled enough.

"If we had a flat pitch we would have won by four goals even with four players out. They hardly had a chance, it was only a poor referee that cost us the game.

"The referee was a disgrace. It was never a penalty, the lad took the ball first."

It was only the second minute of the game when defender Neil Durkin trapped the ball and Maurice Harkin went tumbling over him.

The referee pointed to the spot and Warren Peyton made no mistake. RMI dominated for much of the game and created by far the best chances but failed to put any of them away. Ian Monk was guilty of the two most glaring errors firing tamely at the keeper in the 21st minute and then over the bar five minutes from time when it was easier to score.

To compound a miserable afternoon for RMI substitute striker Dino Maamria was shown the red card a minute from time for apparently hitting out at Terry Angus.