Leigh 1 Northwich Victoria 0 IN a Nationwide Variety Club Trophy first round tie that seemed doomed to never end, RMI finally earned a second round tie at Morecambe.

Weather conditions and more important ties had contrived to set the fixture back by an amazing 98 days since the 3-3 draw at the Drill Field in mid-October.

With Steve Jones in terrific form given the tricky conditions, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Northwich to progress.

In the first half, Jones displayed his jinking skills by skipping past four defenders before angling his effort well wide of the target, and another goalbound effort was deflected over the bar off the head of Anthony Henry.

Northwich showed none of the goalmouth menace that they had displayed in the original tie, yet they almost took the lead against the run of play when Greg Blundell dragged his effort wide from the penalty spot, almost devoid of the realisation that he had a free run on goal.

Nevertheless, the greasy conditions made goalkeeping a lottery at times and Dave German tested his fortune to the limit with a long range shot that skidded wide of Malcolm Rigby's left hand post just moments before the break. Leigh threw everything but the kitchen sink at their Cheshire opponents after the turnaround in the hope that a deluge of goals similar to those on New Years Day would come their way. Yet the chances came and went in quick succession and an extra 30 minutes of extra-time seemed odds-on midway through the half.

Jones produced anothe weaving run before failing to control his drive and sending it careering over the target, while Mick Morrell warmed the hands of the crowd by rotating on Jones's centre and lobbing his shot goalbound only to watch Rigby sum up all his athleticism to deflect it behind for a corner.

Ged Kielty came off the substitutes' bench in the first game to transform the encounter with two goals in quick succession and with his entry into the replay eighteen minutes from time, Leigh had newfound creativity that conspired to construct the decisive goal. Good interplay between Andy Farrell and Kielty allowed Jones to side-step Rigby and slot the ball into the empty net under pressure from Mark Barnard. It was a lead that the Railwaymen had constantly threatened to take yet the vociferous protests of Barnard earned him a caution. And as if to prove how farcical not learning from your colleagues mistakes can be, John Robertson followed up his first-period booking with another for dissent that brought him first use of the hot water in the showers.

Jones threatened to increase the margin with a floating cross-cum-shot across the goal yet it remained a deserved one-nil to Steve Waywell's men.

Leigh RMI's Lancashire Marsden Cup second round tie will be away at UniBond Premier League side Lancaster City at the Giant Axe on Tuesday, January 30th, while their Nationwide Conference clash with basement boys Kettering Town has been re-arranged for Tuesday, February 6, barring the need for an FA Trophy replay.

Leigh RMI: Felgate, Spooner, German, Durkin, Farrell, Swan, Monk, Trees (Kielty 72), Morrell (Matthews 77), Harris, Jones. Subs not used: Ridings, Critchley, Murphy.