In a game that finished with such a one-sided scoreline, it is somewhat ironic that RMI created more chances in the opening period of this particular game than they did throughout Saturday's 2-0 defeat away to Blyth Spartans.

Kieran Lugsden's stooping strike was deflected wide of the target before the visitors took the lead after just twelve minutes of play when a back post cross was nodded down back towards the centre of the goal for Hyde midfielder Steve Pickford to slot the ball in to the empty net.

Following the goal, RMI once again found themselves creating several chances, with  wide man Mark Smyth denied by a terrific fingertip save from former Leigh goalkeeper Craig Dootson in the Tigers goal before Lugsden spurned another chance when flashing a left foot shot wide of the target after a bright Steve Settle run creating the opening.

In the absence of both Phil Charnock and Sean Ferguson from the RMI midfield, Lee Unsworth found himself in the centre of the park and created Leigh's next chance when latching on to a huge John Lamb throw to cross for Sean O'Neil, who put the ball well wide of the target when well positioned on his home debut.

Steve Bleasdale's side found themselves punished for missing such chances shortly before the half hour mark when Steve Settle cheaply conceded possession in midfield, giving Hyde the chance to quickly counter attack with Gareth Seddon beating the Leigh offside trap to double his side's lead.

That lead was extended to three goals a matter of minutes from the break when RMI's set piece weakness was again exposed, with the ball somehow managing to bobble in to the goal via a touch from Dale Johnson to compound a thoroughly depressing forty five minutes for the home support.

Instead of turning over a new leaf with the start of the second period, Leigh found themselves inches away from going a further goal behind within barely twenty seconds of the restart when Owen Roberts was dispossessed on the edge of the penalty area by Gareth Seddon, only for Lamb to be equal to the task in smartly tipping the ball over the crossbar.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take Hyde much longer to extend their lead as RMI's offside trap was again caught out when Matthew Tipton took advantage of confusion the home ranks to romp through almost unopposed and sent a cute lob over the head of Lamb and in to the net after only five minutes of the second half.

Kieran Lugsden finally put RMI on the scoresheet within a minute of the latest Hyde goal when he lashed the ball in to the net, but Leigh continued to struggle to make any headway until the pace of both Richard Chetcuti and Ashley Kelly was introduced from the bench, although by this point Hyde had managed to kill off any faint hopes of a comeback by retaining possession and dictating a slower tempo to the game.

And just when it seemed RMI's evening couldn't get any worse, Tipton was once again able to spring the offside trap and get his second, and his side's fifth, goal of the evening in stoppage time when having an embarrassingly comfortable amount of time to pick his spot before firing the ball beneath Lamb.

Such a margin of defeat can prove to be a massive blow to the confidence of a side, and it will be a big challenge for Bleasdale to try and turn things around ahead of the visit to Hilton Park of former Football League outfit Boston United on Saturday afternoon as the Railwaymen desperately look to start to add more points to their current Blue Square North total.

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