With senior midfielders Chris Holland and Brad Maylett departing for Blue Square North outfit Fleetwood Town earlier in the week, twenty six year old striker Martin Ormesher and nineteen year old midfielder Nathan Smith were the only players to come remotely close to dragging up the average age of a Leigh side packed with players who had barely been, at the most, two years out of school.

A prime example would be goalkeeper Dean Porter, an understudy to Steve Dickinson since the summer and only making his full debut at Whitby, who pulled off a string of fine saves to earn the man of the match award from the hosts. Unfortunately for Porter, the prize was a bottle of champagne that, at seventeen years old, he isn't legally allowed to drink!

On a blustery day by the sea, the hosts dominated possession in the opening stages, although their only goal threat was a Karl Charlton half-volley that flashed over the crossbar on sixteen minutes, matched by Leigh midfielder Scott Sefton's low twenty five yard shot narrowly missing the target.

The hosts took the lead on thirty two minutes when winger Leon Scott cut inside from the left flank to fire across Porter and in to the net, though a little fortunate that his strike was diverted in to the net off the inside of the far post.

Just as it seemed as though Scott's strike might have provided the impetus for Whitby to go on and win the game comfortably against their inexperienced opponents, Leigh were back on level terms within four minutes of the restart. Whitby defender Ashley Lyth hesitated with the ball thirty yards from his own goal, allowing impressive Genesis forward Sam Parkinson to pinch the ball from his feet before racing clear on goal to eventually dribble around Town goalkeeper David Campbell and jubilantly fire in to the roof of the net.

Whitby right back Kevin Burgess stung Porter's hands with a strike that the goalkeeper did well to retrieve at the second attempt before Whitby again took the lead on sixty one minutes.

Whitby winger Steve Huggins attempted to cross from the right hand side but saw it blocked by Leigh substitute Joe Fielding just inside the penalty area. Although the young defender had almost no time to get his hand out of the way, referee Richard Hewitt of Scarborough, only a few miles further round the North Yorkshire coast, adjudged it to be worthy of a penalty, which was duly despatched by controversial former Leeds midfielder Tony Hackworth.

Just as Whitby began to dream of a much-needed three points, Merricks' spirited young charges again upset the odds, equalising for a second time with just thirteen minutes remaining. Livewire striker Chris McCaughtrie finally beat the Whitby offside trap that had frustrated him on countless occasions throughout the afternoon to slice his way through to goal and coolly slot home a tremendous right-footed finish to once again give his side a chance of a point, if not more.

In the dying seconds, substitute Chris Dykes thought that he'd snatched an incredible winning goal for the visitors, only for his celebrations to be cut short by the linesman ruling that Chris McCaughtrie was in an offside position when challenging to reach a lofted free kick in to the area.

After such a terrific performance against the odds, even the most ardent Whitby supporter might not have begrudged Leigh's youngsters of all three points but, as it was, they had to be content with a fully deserved point to cherish on the long journey home.

Leigh Genesis; Dean Porter, Richmond Botchey, Chris Rogers (Joe Fielding), Nathan Smith, Chris Page, David Hill, Dale Whitham, Scott Sefton, Martin Ormesher (Chris Dykes), Chris McCaughtrie, Sam Parkinson

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