By Matt Lawton
December 22 2008

Despite mounting a stirring second half comeback, Lee Merricks' young Genesis side were eliminated from the Co-Operative Lancashire FA Trophy at the Second Round stage as UniBond League First Division outfit Radcliffe Borough made Leigh pay for a terrible first forty five minutes. With the continued uncertainty over the club's situation with regards to the new Leigh Sports Village Stadium, Radcliffe found themselves as the 'away' side at their own home ground for this Second Round tie, as Genesis faced a Borough side that featured ex-Leigh favourites Steve Brockley and Owen Roberts.

Having played only one fixture since drawing 2-2 at Whitby on 15th November, last week's 2-0 First Round victory over Atherton Collieries, Genesis fell behind as early as the sixth minute when a long punt from Borough goalkeeper Phil Priestley reached Ian Fitzpatrick, who was allowed far too much space on the edge of the area and he picked his spot past goalkeeper Dean Porter.

Ten minutes later and that lead was doubled when Fitzpatrick converted a rebound in to an empty net after strike partner Adam Roscoe saw his shot blocked on the line after beating Leigh's offside trap and breaking clear.

Leigh's first opportunity of the game followed shortly afterwards when Sam Parkinson was smartly denied by the legs of Priestley, with Parkinson withdrawn from the action soon afterwards after a heavy tackle, giving popular winger Steve Settle a second Leigh 'debut' after his return to the club from league rivals Witton Albion.

However, that particular attack was to prove an isolated effort as, with thirty three minutes gone, Roscoe got the goal that his hard work deserved, taking advantage of Porter failing to keep hold of a right wing cross, dropping the ball at Roscoe's feet, who might have found it harder to miss the target from only a couple of yards out.

With thirteen minutes of the second half gone, Leigh were handed a lifeline when debutant Jordan Barnes, son of England and Liverpool legend John Barnes, threaded a wonderful through ball for Phil Marsh to chase, with the livewire Leigh striker brought down by Priestley as he tried to dribble around the Radcliffe number one.

Marsh dusted himself off to take the resultant spot kick, but was horrified to see his strike incredibly strike the foot of each post, agonisingly rolling along the line, with Marsh eventually scoring from a second rebound after returning Malta Under 21 international Richard Chetcuti saw his first rebound blocked by Priestley.

With confidence renewed after pulling a goal back, Leigh had their tails up and were denied a second goal by only a fine Priestley save, clutching the ball low down from a curling Marsh strike from the edge of the area.

Priestley would certainly have been disappointed with himself with twenty four minutes remaining when Leigh ensured a grandstand finish as Priestley failed to keep hold of a speculative Chris Rogers strike from distance, spilling the ball behind him to leave Chris Clements to guide the ball over the line from a yard out and give real hope to the travelling Leigh supporters.

That faith was within inches of being repaid as the game entered stoppage time when Marsh laid the ball across the area for Settle to seemingly level the scores, only for ex-Leigh man Owen Roberts to come up with a timely intervention to clear the ball off the line with Priestley beaten.

The defeat means there will be no repeat of Leigh's run to the semi finals of the competition last season, with the focus now completely on a UniBond Premier League campaign that finally resumes this Friday, Boxing Day, when Warrington Town's Cantilever Park ground is the 'home' venue for Leigh's vital encounter with Witton Albion.

Leigh Genesis; Dean Porter, Mark Radcliffe, Chris Rogers, Rob Farrington, Chris Pearson (Alex Cunliffe), Chris Clements, Jordan Barnes (Ross Thaker), Scott Sefton, Phil Marsh, Richard Chetcuti, Sam Parkinson (Steve Settle)