Username
Password
Hucknall Town 3 Leigh RMI 0

By Matt Lawton March 29 2008
A hurricane start from hosts and fellow strugglers Hucknall Town brought three goals within the first twenty minutes of play at a windswept Watnall Road, leaving Steve Bleasdale’s shell-shocked Leigh RMI side teetering on the brink of relegation.

Although Leigh boss Steve Bleasdale made a glut of midweek signings, only on-loan Northwich Victoria striker Cayne Hanley made the sixteen man squad and even then had to settle with a spot on the bench as Bleasdale kept faith with the side that earned a credible 0-0 draw in impressive fashion away to play-off challengers Harrogate Town the previous weekend, with ex-Southport midfielder David Prout and on-loan Blackpool defender Matt Lawlor being left out of the side.

However, the form book was turned upside down within two minutes of the kick off as the hosts took the lead in bizarre fashion, Leigh goalkeeper Tim Dittmer misjudging an innocuous-looking free kick from the right hand side from Mick Galloway, the Hucknall centre back taking advantage of the strong wind blowing behind him as the ball caught the breeze and flew over Dittmer and in to the net.

That lead was doubled just three minutes later when RMI left back Owen Roberts misplaced a simple backpass on an admittedly tricky Watnall Road pitch, allowing impressive striker Peter Knox to dispossess Dittmer and knock the ball in to the empty net.

The hosts were criticised in midweek after two successive defeats plunged them in to the Blue Square North relegation zone, but the one-time FA Trophy finalists were rampant and even had the ball in the net for a third time on sixteen minutes, Ben Saunders knocking the ball in to the net after it had rebounded back off the crossbar, only for the Nottinghamshire side's joy to be short-lived thanks to the offside flag of the linesman.

It was on the twenty minute mark that the lead became seemingly unassailable as a wind-assisted long ball from defence bounced horribly over the head of centre back Rob Marsh-Evans, allowing Knox to race through and score his second of the afternoon and silence Leigh's vocal travelling support.

With the game half an hour old and seemingly over as a contest, RMI had a golden opportunity to get back in to the game when striker Richard Chetcuti was nudged over in the area, only for Marsh-Evans' attempt from the resultant spot kick to be saved excellently by man-of-the-match Steve Dickinson, although in truth the Hucknall goalkeeper surprisingly found the penalty to be at a somewhat comfortable height to save.

Despite their three goal lead, the confidence of the hosts appeared to be particularly fragile, and it was almost shattered shortly before half-time as James Dunn's cross from the left channel flew agonisingly across goal, only a matter of inches away from a Chetcuti touch that might have changed the complexion of the game had it gone in.

As it was, RMI were left for an undoubted Bleasdale roasting at the break, and it appeared to do the trick as his side flew out of the blocks in the second half, Dunn dragging a left foot strike wide of the post before winger Steve Settle sent a shot arrowing narrowly over the cross after cutting inside from the left hand flank with Bradley Maylett, twice a goalscorer in the past three games, half-volleying the ball a little too high to trouble Dickinson.

Barnsley referee Mr. Lawrence handed another lifeline to RMI shortly afterwards when he adjudged Chetcuti to have been fouled in the area, but the young striker followed in the footsteps of captain Marsh-Evans by failing to take advantage, his low spot kick being placed far too close to Dickinson who again preserved his clean sheet.

Hucknall very nearly had a fourth late on as Dittmer was again caught out by the wind and left to thank midfielder Jonathan Goulding for being in the right place at the right place to hook a goal-bound volley away off the line.

The heavy defeat brings RMI crashing back down to earth after a recent resurgence in form, with Steve Bleasdale's side having to pick themselves up for the visit to Hilton Park of mid-table Tamworth next Saturday afternoon.

Leigh RMI; Tim Dittmer, Scott Metcalfe, Owen Roberts (Gavin Salmon), Neil Carroll, Rob Marsh-Evans, Paul Booth, Bradley Maylett, Jonathan Goulding, James Dunn (Cayne Hanley), Richard Chetcuti, Steve Settle (Andy Wright)

Bookmark or share this story with: