WHEN RMI finished fifth in the Nationwide Conference last May, it was more of an achievement than it seemed.

The position became a gateway for a place in the LDV Vans Trophy - formerly the Auto Windscreens Shield - a competition for lower league clubs and a chance for glory with the final played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Clubs from the Second and Third Divisions of the Football League line up in a knockout competition along with eight Conference sides, who all battle it out in two sections.

Steve Waywell's side hoped to make the tournament worthwhile by drawing prestigious local opposition such as Wigan Athletic, Bury or Stoke City but were to be disappointed at last week's draw when Leigh were paired with Conference strugglers Scarborough at Hilton Park.

Leigh's home tie, which is likely to take place on Tuesday October 16, offers the Railwaymen the opportunity to progess to the second round but it is unlikely to bring the already dwindling crowds through the turnstiles which is disappointing for a club which watched in dismay as just 482 turned up to watch the demolition of high-flying Farnborough Town on Saturday. To rub salt into RMI's financial wounds, a crowd of almost three thousand is expected on Saturday to watch RMI's visit to Somerset's Yeovil Town. The tournament is a further addition to RMI's already crammed fixture list, although the burden on players has been lifted notably following the League's decision to abandon the Nationwide Variety Club Trophy after waterlogged pitches forced Leigh's tie with Northwich Victoria to be postponed onSEVEN occasions last season. However, the LDV Vans Trophy offers a respite from the tension of league football that gives the town a chance to put it's football team on the map once more.