Having played only one game in the three weeks that have followed the 1-0 win away to Marine last month, the Leigh side reported to a monsoon-like Kirklands with a largely clean bill of health, with only Jerome Watt and Darren Mansaram missing from a strong starting line up.

With torrential rain reducing the Kirklands pitch to little more than a mini-Mersey replica, it was Leigh that were creating by far the most in the way of goalscoring chances, Jordan Stepien going close after eighteen minutes, taking control of a loose ball to send a curling shot from the edge of the area narrowly past the post.

Just a minute later and Genesis took the lead, Stepien doing well to break free of his marker with a smart turn and send his shot across goal for Mark Smyth to tap in his first goal of the season, although in truth Stepien's strike was likely to reach the net anyway without Smyth's intervention.

However, that lead proved to be particularly short-lived as the hosts levelled the scores just sixteen minutes later, impressive winger Mike Rimmer cutting inside on to his right foot for a low strike from outside the area that deflected off Josh Wilson and skidded in to the net past Leigh goalkeeper Steve Dickinson.

Ten minutes from the interval and Lairds were reduced to ten men, defender Lee Atherton getting himself in to a horrible tangle of the edge of his own penalty area, by no means helped by a large puddle that is rumoured to be the training base for Team GB's diving section for the 2012 Olympics, with Smyth taking advantage of Atherton's mistake and stealing the ball from him, only for the ex-Leigh man to drag down Smyth and leave the referee with little option but to send him from the field.

With Leigh looking to take advantage of their numerical superiority, the hosts were indebted to goalkeeper Khalid Al-Samarie, who pulled off a wonder save to claw away Brad Maylett's point-blank header from a pinpoint Rob Marsh-Evans cross that meant the sides remained level at the break.

Half-time saw a multitude of substitutions, with Lairds changing their formation and introducing two fresh players, while Leigh captain Jerome Fitzgerald didn't return for the second period, with Paul Booth replacing him.

With the home side starting to sit further back in the second half and look to possibly conserve a valuable point, many of Leigh's vocal travelling support were starting to think that it was to be another day of "if only's" for their side as Stepien again found himself the villain, struggling to control the ball at his feet before hooking wide of the gaping target after Andrew Teague's delivery from the right flank.

Leigh's wasteful nature in front of goal was to be punished with only seven minutes remaining when a right wing corner was headed in at the back post by defender John Collins, leaving Genesis shell-shocked at their inability to convert possession in two goals.

Despite a lengthy period of added time at the end of the game and Teague featuring as a makeshift striker, the home side, who defeated FC United of Manchester on the same field earlier in the season, stood firm for a valiant victory, with Leigh's attentions turned to the FA Trophy and Saturday's visit to UniBond Division One North side Harrogate Railway Athletic.

Leigh Genesis; Steve Dickinson, Andrew Teague, Rob Marsh-Evans, Jonathan Goulding (Tom Field), Josh Wilson, Jerome Fitzgerald (Paul Booth), Bradley Maylett (Jerome Watt), Chris Holland, Jordan Stepien, Mark Smyth, Alex Mortimer

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