After ending the 2006/07 season with a late surge that saw the club finish in seventeenth position, a relative success after a season of doom-mongering prompting then-manager Stuart Humphreys to declare the club will be making an assault on the Blue Square North play-offs for 2007/08.
After a mixed pre-season that saw a victory on the North Wales coast at Colwyn Bay but defeats at Lancaster City and Welsh Premier side Caernarfon Town, RMI made a bright start to the season, with a 2-2 opening day draw with Hinckley United, the previous season's play-off runners up, being followed by an impressive 2-1 midweek victory amidst monsoon conditions at Barrow.
A Scott Willis goal, his only strike of the season, earned a 1-1 draw at Redditch United but Leigh's unbeaten start to the season ended the following week as visitors Harrogate Town impressively put RMI to the sword in a 2-0 victory, followed two days later by a heartbreaking 3-1 defeat at Stalybridge Celtic, the hosts scoring two goals in the final five minutes to seal all three points.
September began with eventual champions Kettering Town maintaining their 100% start to the season with a 4-1 dismantling of RMI at Hilton Park, with Leigh's plummeting league form continuing with a 1-0 loss to Southport, aided by the controversial sending off of Leigh striker Kevin Rapley, in front of Hilton Park's biggest crowd of the season before a 3-1 loss at Worcester City.
RMI's loss of form was ended with two Kieran Lugsden strikes sealing a 2-0 Hilton Park victory over rock-bottom Hucknall Town, though that was followed by a 1-0 loss to Nuneaton Borough in RMI's first ever visit to Liberty Way before RMI's hopes of a lucrative FA Cup run came to a crashing halt at the first hurdle with a humiliating 4-1 defeat at lower league Harrogate Railway Athletic, who would go on to gain nationwide exposure with a live TV tie against Mansfield Town in the First Round Proper.
RMI's interest in the Setanta Shield was ended only days later with a 4-0 defeat at Barrow and, although a rare Andy Heald header sealed a 1-1 home draw with Solihull Moors, the growing pressure on Stuart Humphreys saw him relieved of his duties, with new boss Steve Bleasdale taking charge ahead of the 2-2 draw away to Vauxhall Motors; Bleasdale denied a perfect start to his second spell at the club by a late David Roberts equaliser.
The departure of striking pair Dan Owen, for work related reasons, and Kevin Rapley, who joined league rivals Barrow for a small fee, saw Bleasdale return to former club Bangor City to sign ex-Liverpool striker Mark Smyth, who would go on to finish the season as the club's top scorer, also being awarded the ‘Goal of the Season' award for a stunning free kick scored in a home defeat to Barrow later in the season.
Smyth's inclusion, however, didn't prevent a 2-0 loss away to Blyth Spartans, while Bleasdale's difficult start continued with a comprehensive 5-1 home defeat to Hyde United.
The first point of Bleasdale's reign was a major one as RMI, reduced to ten men following the sending off of Andy Heald, came back from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw with ex-Football League side Boston United at Hilton Park, thanks to goals from Owen Roberts and Richard Chetcuti.
RMI missed the chance to climb out of the relegation zone in mid-November when a late Josh Law strike saw Alfreton Town claim a 1-0 home victory, with league worries being put aside as claimed an entertaining 4-2 home win over Clitheroe in the Lancashire FA Co-Operative Challenge Trophy.
Leigh's relative cup success continued with a terrific 3-2 FA Trophy away win over Burscough, though that was sandwiched between a 3-1 home defeat to Nuneaton Borough and 2-0 loss away to Tamworth.
December saw RMI secure a spot in the semi finals of the Co-Operative Challenge Trophy with a 3-1 win over North West Counties League side Ashton Athletic, though their FA Trophy interest was ended with a 3-1 loss at home to league rivals Workington.
Despite an inspired performance from goalkeeper Tim Dittmer, the Festive period began with a 3-0 loss at Kettering Town, RMI finally enjoyed some Christmas cheer on Boxing Day when two Mark Smyth goals secured revenge over FA Trophy conquerors Workington in a 2-1 victory at Hilton Park.
The win over the Reds didn't exactly began a run of victories, though, as Stalybridge Celtic took advantage of Andy Heald's second red card of the season to win 3-1 at Hilton Park before a 2-1 New Years' Day defeat at Workington.
An early January visit to Boston saw RMI hit the woodwork on no less than three occasions, yet still fall victim to a 5-1 hammering, before losing 1-0 at home to Redditch United.
The deluge of goals that were heading in to RMI's ‘goals against' column was further exasperated with a 6-1 loss at AFC Telford United, that despite taking an early lead through Kieran Lugsden, though a feeling of optimism swept through the club as ambitious businessman Dominic Speakman was appointed as the club's new chairman prior to a comfortable 3-1 home victory over basement rivals Vauxhall Motors in late-January.
Free transport for supporters to take in the game at Solihull Moors, but they returned from the Midlands disappointed with a 1-0 defeat, before AFC Telford ran out 3-0 midweek victors in a re-arranged clash at Hilton Park.
Early February saw RMI defy their lowly league position with a terrific performance at play-off challengers Hyde United earning a credible 1-1 draw after a delightful Mark Smyth lob put the Railwaymen in front, who might have won the game late on had Richard Chetcuti's shot not rebounded against the foot of Craig Dootson's left hand post.
As had been the case throughout much of the season, Leigh failed to build on such an encouraging performance and, after again failing to hold on to a lead after Gavin Salmon's early strike, lost 3-1 to Gainsborough Trinity before being blown away by a first half Burscough onslaught, being 4-0 down at half-time in an eventual 5-2 defeat Victoria Park.
A 2-1 home defeat to Barrow, despite Mark Smyth's late "Goal of the Season" free kick, was followed in early March by ten man RMI's interest in the Co-Operative Challenge Trophy being ended with a 4-0 defeat at Lancastrian rivals Southport.
A vital relegation battle at Hinckley United saw RMI plunged further in to the relegation mire with a 3-1 defeat at the Marston's Stadium, though they were boosted with a fully deserved 1-0 victory over Alfreton Town the following week, Bradley Maylett scoring for the second consecutive week on a blustery day at Hilton Park.
Once again, an encouraging performance that saw a snow-bound 0-0 draw at promotion chasing Harrogate Town, was followed by a heavy defeat as RMI came unstuck in another relegation battle, losing 3-0 at Hucknall Town, who gained revenge for their early season revenge.
Remarkably, despite their league position, the much changed RMI side, who would use a staggering total of sixty players throughout the season, were enjoying an increase in support, both in terms of numbers and noise, at home and away games, with a vocal crowd witnessing a 0-0 home draw with Tamworth that could quite easily have been all three points.
Arguably RMI's finest hour of the season came on April 8th as Hilton Park and the Channel M cameras witnessed an incredible encounter as visitors Burscough were reduced to eight man in a breathless Lancashire derby, with Rob Marsh-Evans and Cayne Hanley scoring the goals that signaled delirium on the terraces and a 2-1 Leigh victory, with ex-RMI defender Neil Fitzhenry amongst those to be given their marching orders after a series shocking tackles on Leigh striker Richard Chetcuti.
As was the case with virtually every other victory throughout the course of the season, RMI failed to build upon it as they were officially relegated with a 2-1 loss at Gainsborough Trinity, though the club were complemented on the impeccable behaviour of their mass following, who were constant in their support of Steve Bleasdale's side.
With their place in next season's UniBond Premier League confirmed, RMI meekly lost 1-0 at home to Worcester City before a 2-0 defeat at Southport, thanks to two goals worthy of gracing a much higher level, brought RMI's tour of the Blue Square North to the end, before the curtain was brought down on Hilton Park with a 2-0 defeat to Blyth Spartans; the result being the least important factor of an emotional day as both sets of fans enjoyed a summery final day of the season.
RMI's Blue Square North tenure may be over, but next season's UniBond Premier League campaign heralds the start of an exciting new era, with the club due to move to their dazzling new home at the Leigh Sports Village in time for the start of what will hopefully be a promotion-challenging season.
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