Leigh RMI 2, Margate 2: LEIGH RMI avoided a fourth successive 2-1 defeat in the Nationwide Conference when Dave Ridings got the Railwaymen out of jail seven minutes from time.

Hilton Park was silenced for almost the duration as Margate looked set to hold on to the 2-1 advantage that they had carved out during the first half.

However, influential midfielder Ridings, who has missed two months of the campaign due to injury, lashed a superb drive past Lee Turner from 30 yards that nestled in the back of the net off the inside of a post.

RMI grabbed a point but in the early stages they were on top in search of a league 'double' over the side who started the day in fourth place. After just three minutes, Dino Maamria made a dangerous run down the right hand side and despite a devilish low cross, Turner dived bravely at the feet of Ridings to deny the chance.

Maamria was a threat up front all afternoon, laying off a simple pass for Tony Black to fire at Turner and appealing vociferously for a penalty kick after he looked to have been impeded by Bill Edwards.

The well deserved breakthrough came when Maamria's shot from 10 yards was miscued across the face of goal and Neil Fisher was on hand to slide the ball past the goalkeeper from close range.

Leigh held the advantage in a league game at home for the first time since the game against Farnborough Town in late September, but it was short-lived as the visitors hit back with two goals in four minutes before the break.

Flicked header

The equaliser came when Paul Lamb's cross from the right hand side found Simon Beard alone in the centre, and he flicked his header over Mark Westhead to level matters. The second goal for Chris Kinnear's side came after 36 minutes in bizarre fashion. Terry McFlynn's ball was deflected into the path of Phil Collins off the boot of Neil Durkin. Collins' powerful shot was athletically parried by Westhead but only into the path of Andy Farrell and after hitting the veteran defender, he could only watch as the ball trickled into the empty net.

Both sides looked to add to their tally during an entertaining second period, with Durkin watching his left-footed volley cleared off the line by Edwards and at the other end, Jay Saunders followed up his yellow card with a header that beat the goalkeeper but hit the crossbar.

After Ridings' strike, a frustrated Margate were reduced to 10 men when Nick Roddis clattered into Gerry Harrison to earn himself a second booking. Nevertheless, it was the Conference new boys who could have stole the show late on as substitute Akope Sodje raced away from Durkin in stoppage time, but could only fire his effort wide of the target with only the goalkeeper to beat.

RMI: Westhead, Spooner, German (Heald 74), Durkin, Farrell, Harrison, Monk (Twiss 64), Ridings, Maamria, Black, Fisher. Subs unused: Felgate, Hallows, Swan.