IT took a heated half-time discussion in Leigh RMI's dressing room before manager Steve Waywell changed his defensive system.

They then ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against Alfreton Town in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

Forced into making a change just before the break when Matty Weston left the field with a hamstring strain, Waywell was faced with the dilemma of sticking with his three central defenders or moving to a flat back four.

After the frank exchange of views, he opted for the latter, with Kevin Booth switching to right back and Chris Bermingham on as an extra attacker.

RMI never looked back. They dominated their Premier League opponents so much so that the two Chris Shaw goals were not a true reflection of a one-sided second half.

"We were negative and laboured in the first half," said Waywell. "Although the players wanted to stick with our normal pattern, I decided to change it and attack them and on this occasion it paid off.

"Their big defenders were found wanting in the second half when we played the ball into feet. If there is a disappointment it is we didn't take more of the chances that were created."

Shaw's opener came in the 57th minute when his glancing header from Keith Evans' left wing cross just sneaked inside the far post.

His second, a minute from time, finished off the best move of the match. Evans and Bermingham passed their way through the Alfreton defence before Shaw was left with the space to beat Matt Unwin with ease.

ATHERTON LR rounded off a superb week with a 1-0 home win in the FA Cup against a strong Ilkeston Town team.

Some of the Atherton players must have felt they had run a marathon after two extra-time games in midweek to see off the preliminary round challenge of Liversedge.

LR boss Dave Morris appears to be able to produce that extra ingredient for cup ties. And he did it again on Saturday.

He stuck by the Lee Cryer/Steve Gavin strike partnership that had worked so well last week. That left Gavin McDonald on the bench.

It was getting edgy again, but on 85 minutes Cryer ghosted by two defenders to pull the ball back for Paul Griffin to blast home the winner.

ATHERTON COLLS joint manager Steve Walton said: "We were ever so unlucky."

And that just about summed up their 1-0 loss at Billingham Synthonia. "We bossed the game for long periods," he added.

"To say we had 70 to 80 per cent of the play was no exaggeration. Andy Pendlebury at the back and Tony Pemberton in midfield were outstanding.

"But we just could not get the ball in the back of the net and they hit us with one vital strike."

LEIGH ATHLETIC boomed their discontent from the rooftops. We wuz robbed!

A dubious penalty award late in the game gave Burnley Belvedere a 1-1 draw.

Leigh's midfield of Gordon Walker and Steve Kidd dominated, but missed chances cost the side dear.

Danny Wilson headed Leigh's goal from a corner. But he blotted his copybook by being sent off in an incident which also saw his brother Richard booked.

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