STEVE JONES went goal crazy in Leigh's RMI's 5-0 thrashing of Frickley.
The winger had scored his first, and Leigh's second, five minutes before the break. He completed the scoring in the 73th minute with his second. But he should have had a hat-trick - and more!
In the final 20 minutes he had half-a-dozen chances to notch up a treble.
With leaders Marine drawing 1-1 against third-place Gateshead, the three points took RMI back to the top of the UniBond Premier Division.
"That's the main thing," said Jones. "But I'm gutted on missing out on an hat-trick after I had so many chances. I was a bit greedy near the end but I thought it was just a matter of time. The big bonus was we created so many chances."
The win, which takes RMI's run to one defeat in 14 games, was on the cards as early as the eighth minute when Dave Ridings finished off some fine interplay between Tony Black and Brian Ross.
Brian Butler made Jones's first before Jones himself provided the cross for Ross to head RMI's third just after the break. Mick Wallace's pin-point in-swinging corner allowed Ricky Harris to head the fourth. And Jones was on hand to tap home the rebound after sub Danny Christie had rattled the post with a spectacular volley from just outside the box.
Manager Steve Waywell said: "We played some good stuff even if the opposition was poor and other results went for us. It feels good to be back on top but there is still a long way to go."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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