Username
Password
Hereford United 0 Leigh RMI 1

By Matt Lawton November 1 2003
A late goal from Carl Barrowclough gave RMI a shock victory away against league leaders Hereford United to further strengthen the bid of caretaker manager Phil Starbuck to take the post on a full time basis.
Leigh fully deserved their shock win over the ten-man Bulls and the three points will have provided a huge boost to the side. Three points against any side to end RMI's winless run of ten games will have boosted confidence hugely anyway but the fact that it came in the back yard of the league leaders and champions-elect has demonstrated to the football world that RMI certainly have not given up on their Conference survival.

RMI had the first chance of the game when Ian Monk hit a right foot volley from the edge of the penalty area after two minutes and earned a corner as it was tipped away by Hereford goalkeeper Matthew Baker. Hereford came back into the game and Stephen Guinan forced RMI goalkeeper Gary Kelly into a smart block to divert the ball away for a throw in after shooting from the edge of the area.

The hosts began to take a hold of the game and Neil Durkin blocked Dean Craven's shot which was quickly followed by Kelly saving Daniel Williams' strike from the edge of the box.

Former Barnsley winger Carl Barrowclough forced a corner for RMI and Gerry Harrison went close from twenty yards out before Daniel Carey-Bertram's shot forced Gary Kelly into a decent stop. Dean Craven went close with a header after thirty six minutes before he was again denied by a good save from former Eire international goalkeeper Kelly.

RMI went off at half time pleased to be level with the league leaders, a prospect that would've been deemed unthinkable only a couple of weeks ago.

The Railwaymen had the first clear-cut chance of the second half when Warren Peyton drilled a left-footed strike which was parried by Matt Baker in the Hereford goal.

RMI got a chance to improve their chances of winning the game when the hosts were reduced to ten men following the sending off of Jamie Pitman who received his second booking in six minutes. Dean Craven fouled Gerry Harrison from behind, with Craven being booked for the foul and Harrison for his reaction, along with Martyn Lancaster, while Pitman got himself involved and earned himself a second booking and a red card from the referee.

Lancaster blocked Stephen Guinan's shot and diverted it for a corner as ten-man Hereford tried to earn the lead, though the RMI defence held firm. RMI forced another corner at the other end but Warren Peyton's corner was cleared by the Bulls defence.

RMI took a shock lead with barely five minutes remaining when former Barnsley winger Carl Barrowclough gave the visitors the lead with a left footed strike from the edge of the area, after Warren Peyton's corner had been passed on to Barrowclough by caretaker player manager Phil Starbuck.

Hereford almost equalised barely a minute later when Daniel Williams had his twenty striker excellently tipped around the post by Gary Kelly to keep the Railwaymen in the lead.

RMI survived more than five minutes of added time to grab a shock victory and end their winless run of ten games.

Bookmark or share this story with: