By Matt Lawton
September 14 2010

After Rick Gleave scored a ninety-sixth minute winner to spell FA Cup progress for Leigh at the weekend, Genesis were on the end of a heartbreaking late defeat of their own as hosts Warrington clinched all three points with an injury time winner at Cantilever Park.

With Saturday's breathless 4-3 win over Rossendale United spelling progress to the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round, Genesis boss Mark Maddox kept faith with his side with the only change at Warrington seeing Rick Gleave join the starting line up in the absence of Nick Eastham with a hamstring injury, with Tom Obasi on the bench following his return from international duty with the Great Britain Futsal side.

Warrington striker Gavin Salmon was somewhat of a cult figure during a spell with Leigh that saw him score just two goals in eighteen outings during the 2007/2008 Conference North season. However, after impressing in a couple of years at Woodley Sports, he has moved to Cantilever Park and started the season like a house on fire, so it was little surprise to see him hit the net with the evening's opening goal, tucking the ball in to the top left-hand corner of Adam Judge's net from inside the area after collecting a ball from the left wing on thirty one minutes.

Leigh's first chance came on thirty four minutes when a John Lawless free kick skidded along the ground and had to be tipped awkwardly away for a corner by goalkeeper Paul Pritchard. Pritchard made a name for himself on thirty eight minutes with a terrific recovery save, clawing desperately to keep the ball inches in front of his line after Lawless had fiercely volleyed a Rick Gleave cross towards goal.

Genesis finished the half the strongest and again went close on forty three minutes when Paul Hopkins drilled a shot that was deflected narrowly wide of Pritchard's left hand post.

After a torrential first half downpour left the pitch soaked, the second half became somewhat of a war of attrition but Leigh thought they'd earned a deserved point on eighty five minutes when Kieran Molyneux headed home his first goal for the club.

Virtually seconds later and Leigh were the bounce of a ball away from claiming a late lead when Gleave broke through on goal and beat Pritchard with a left-footed strike that was unfortunate to rebound away to safety off the far post. With the game deep in to injury time and Leigh pushing forward in search of a winner, the home side took advantage and mounted a lightning counter attack that released Tony Evans on goal, and he made no mistake in slotting the ball past Judge and claiming all three points for Warrington.

Leigh's next game is another trip to Cheshire, this time a trip to Northwich-based Witton Albion on Saturday (18th September, 3pm) before a President's Cup Preliminary Round tie with Skelmersdale United next Tuesday (21st August, 7.45pm).

Leigh Genesis; Adam Judge, Rowan Garnett (Scott Sephton), Paul Williams, Kieran Molyneux, James Bell, Andy Heald (Tom Obasi), Paul Hopkins, Joe Evans, John Lawless, Adam Strode (James Olsen), Rick Gleave