After both sides enjoyed successful pre-season campaign, a respectable crowd of 364, bolstered by a large and boisterous travelling support, gathered at Coronation Park for an early clash of the UniBond Premier titans.

Genesis manager Steve Bleasdale sprung a selection surprise by handing a debut to striker Matt Berkeley, a last-minute signing from Blue Square North side Droylsden, with eight of the eleven starting players making their competitive Leigh debuts in the form of Steve Dickinson, Andrew Teague, Alex Mortimer, Josh Wilson, Jerome Fitzgerald, Chris Holland, Darren Mansaram and Berkeley, with only Brad  Maylett, Rob Marsh-Evans and Richard Chetcuti remaining from last season's side.

With so many new players in the side, a disjointed start was certainly to be expected from the visitors, despite a reasonably successful pre-season programme.

It was on twenty three minutes that Eastwood took the lead, a free kick from the left hand side being headed in towards Ian Holmes who fired past Genesis goalkeeper Steve Dickinson.

With Richard Chetcuti playing in an unfamiliar midfield role, Leigh struggled to get in to the game and only threatened Ian Deakin's goal late in the first half.

Half-time saw the ineffective Chetcuti replaced by Jonathan Goulding, but it failed to particularly spark the visitors, with Genesis only starting to take control with the introduction of Jerome Watt for Josh Wilson.

With Watt starting to pull the strings in the Leigh midfield, Genesis finally began to exert pressure on the hosts, forcing a succession of corners as Watt and Bradley Maylett provided a consistent threat down either side, though their enterprising wide play wasn't enough to create any particularly clear-cut chances.

As Leigh pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the final quarter of the game, they left themselves vulnerable on the counter-attack, but it was in controversial fashion that the hosts clinched victory in the final minute of the game, substitute Matt Rhead appearing to control the ball with his hand but, with the officials missing the incident, Lindon Meikle chased through and slotted past Dickinson.

With a host of pitch problems at Hilton Park, Leigh's next two fixtures will take place at Victory Park, home of UniBond Division One side Chorley, with a game against Ashton United on Tuesday evening being followed by a 'home' game with Ilkeston Town.

Leigh Genesis; Steve Dickinson, Andrew Teague, Alex Mortimer, Josh Wilson (Jerome Watt), Rob Marsh-Evans, Jerome Fitzgerald, Bradley Maylett, Chris Holland, Darren Mansaram (Paul Booth), Matt Berkeley, Richard Chetcuti (Jonathan Goulding)

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