Steve Bleasdale's selection options were boosted prior to the game with the return from injury of key defender Rob Marsh-Evans, while Tom Field found himself on the substitutes bench, later making his long-awaited debut, after having to sit out the first four games of the season because of a suspension picked up when playing for Vauxhall Motors at the end of last term.

Just a matter of minutes in to the game and Leigh should have found themselves a goal in front, Jordan Stepien heading the ball around the Worksop goalkeeper and in to the path of winger Brad Maylett, who despite scoring two goals in the opening four games, struck a terribly weak shot that was comfortably cleared off the line when, in reality, any kind of firm connection would have seen the ball nestling in the back of the net.

While their physically commanding hosts were dominating the game through the middle and managing to sweep up any lofted balls, they found it more than a little trickier to deal with the pace and crosses of wingers Maylett and Alex Mortimer, but Leigh front men Stepien and Darren Mansaram were struggling to get in front of their markers and get a vital diverting touch.

Leigh forced a succession of free kicks around the edge of the penalty area along with a good number of corner kicks, but Worksop's aerial strength meant that the deadlock wasn't to be broken before the break.

Although Mansaram had the first chance of the second half, firing over the crossbar after some neat footwork on the edge of the area, it was Worksop that took the lead after eight second half minutes when a right wing cross was headed in by Matt Wilson, the ball creeping past Leigh goalkeeper Steve Dickinson at the back post.

With Jordan Stepien still working his way towards full fitness after a disrupted pre-season, Mark Smyth came off the bench to make his first appearance of the campaign, and he almost made an instant impact, doing superbly to flick the ball over the goalkeeper from an acute angle, only for the ball to trickle agonisingly across the goal line, before the former Liverpool striker saw a free kick comfortably saved.

With Field proving to be a constant threat after his introduction from the bench, Leigh finally got themselves back on level terms on seventy five minutes with a moment of true quality from ex-Bohemians man Mansaram.

It appeared as though there was little threat when Alex Mortimer crossed the ball to the striker's feet, but he held the ball up inside the area before picking the perfect time to turn past his marker and lash a terrific finish in to the net from a tight angle.

However, instead of providing the impetus that Leigh needed to go on and clinch the game, it took Worksop just five minutes to reclaim the lead when, after the original shot was blocked by Jerome Fitzgerald, Tigers substitute Kirk Jackson swept the rebound past Dickinson.

Genesis came within inches of claiming a prized equaliser late on when a Mortimer cross was headed down by Mansaram in to the path of Matt Berkeley, but the substitute's acrobatic volley flew narrowly over the crossbar.

The game ended in bizarre fashion when, after a clash of heads between Mansaram and a Worksop defender in the area, the referee booked Josh Wilson for returning to the field too soon after receiving treatment, despite the fact that Wilson was thirty yards from the original incident and therefore hadn't even left the field, even though the Worksop player that was involved had already returned to the action.

Leigh now face two huge home games over the next week, the first being the much-anticipated local derby against rivals Prescot Cables, a game given further spice with it marking Leigh's return to Hilton Park, while Yorkshire side Frickley Athletic visit Hilton Park on Saturday (3pm) for Leigh's second Roses battle of the season.

Leigh Genesis; Steve Dickinson, Paul Booth (Matt Berkeley), Jerome Fitzgerald, Jonathan Goulding (Tom Field), Josh Wilson, Rob Marsh-Evans, Brad Maylett, Chris Holland, Jordan Stepien (Mark Smyth), Darren Mansaram, Alex Mortimer

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