Leigh RMI 1 Stalybridge Celtic 0
LEIGH RMI manager Steve Waywell says that his side are just three victories away from certain safety in the Nationwide Conference after a slender victory over rivals Stalybridge on Tuesday extended their unbeaten run in the league to seven games.
The Railwaymen went into their last three crucial games hoping not to lose ground to any of their opponents in the fierce basement battle but have come out trumps with seven points in the eight days lifting them to 12th position in the league - 10 points above the relegation zone.
The price that they will have to pay for their success though is injuries to two of their key players, Gerry Harrison and Dave Ridings, both of whom limped off the field at half-time with hamstring injuries that could force them out for up to three weeks.
Eighteen-goal striker Dino Maamria is expected to return to the squad for Saturday's home tie with Nuneaton Borough though after two games on the sidelines.
Leigh started the match sluggishly on a bobbling surface that was not conducive to entertaining football of any kind, but having found their rhythm by the half-hour mark, the home side started to exert considerable pressure on Leigh Walker's goal.
It was man of the moment Michael Twiss who looked to build on his recent tally of four goals in as many matches in the opening spell of pressure, but his failure to accept three routine chances within minutes of each other means the statistics will not be stretched any further.
Menacing cross
From Ged Kielty's menacing cross, Twiss steered a header from six yards wide of the target and failed to make any contact 60 seconds later when the same player fed him the assist and, preoccupied by the possibility of a raised flag from the linesman, he allowed the chance to go begging.
If the first miss was forgivable then the second was inexplicable but Twiss was in creative mood and with a solo run, nearly got on the scoresheet three minutes later, only for Walker to produce a tremendous save at the near post and foil him after a terrific angled left-foot shot. Walker was to the rescue for Celtic again before the interval to beat away Black's 20-yard piledriver.
After a fairly eventless start to the second half, Leigh looked to be heading for only their second goalless draw in the league since the Millennium but that was all changed when Leigh found their attacking gears with 12 minutes remaining - this time Walker pulling out the save of the night to deny a bullet header from Kielty.
There was nothing that he could do to keep the impressive midfielder out two minutes later though as his shot took a deflection off Ben Futcher and looped over the hapless goalkeeper for the winner.
There was still hope at that stage though for Stalybridge, but that was all but disintegrated when Futcher saw his header cleared off the line by a relieved Neil Fisher who didn't seem to know too much about it. The points were safe for Leigh once Adie Mike had volleyed a difficult shot wide two minutes from time.
Leigh face Nuneaton Borough in the second part of their Hilton Park treble on Saturday afternoon, while Morecambe complete the visiting trio on Tuesday night
Leigh RMI's trip to Stevenage - postponed on 16 March because of Borough's FA Trophy commitments - has been re-arranged for Monday, April 15 with a 7:45pm kick off.
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