Leigh RMI 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 1
By Matt Lawton April 19 2005
This evening saw Hilton Park bid farewell to the Conference, and in keeping with RMI's entire season, the Leigh faithful left the ground once again reflecting on another defeat for the hosts.
This evening saw Hilton Park bid farewell to the Conference, and in keeping with RMI's entire season, the Leigh faithful left the ground once again reflecting on another defeat for the hosts.
Hilton Park's Conference adventure ended in the same way it began almost five years ago, with a one-goal defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge. One of the few things still remaining from those days is the hard-core of RMI supporters, but even they have found themselves asking why they put themselves through the trauma of following RMI after a torrid two seasons of Conference defeats, and it is they who relegation will affect the most. Once Saturday's Conference finalé at Stevenage is out of the way, gone are the long away trips down south in favour of plenty of local derbies. Despite the advantages that that brings, it has it's downside, and none of the sides that the club will face in league games next year have nowhere near the glamour or pulling power of the likes of Carlisle, York or Hereford.
This evening's game was a largely drab affair between two sides with little more than pride to play for ahead of the summer break, although the little meaning of the game somewhat went out of the window at times with several confrontations between the players and a whole lot more 'tasty tackles' going in from both sides, threatening to light up an otherwise disappointing game for the 245 spectators.
RMI only occasionally threatened Tony Roberts goal, and even then it was largely only from distance, although Ben Jones looked troublesome up front for RMI for most of the evening, but unfortunately that was backed up with very little end product for his endeavour.
The visitors took the lead on the half-hour mark when one of many Daggers corners was deflected away, only for the ball to find it's way to Chris Moore to put the ball past Jon Worsnop and put the Essex side in front, claiming his 21st goal of the season in the process.
Although RMI looked good in their approach play, on occasions playing some excellent one and two-touch football to move the ball around the field, there was very little at the end of it, which will certainly frustrate RMI boss Steve Bleasdale as he looks to next season and the possibility of challenging for an immediate return to the Conference top flight.
The game could've turned in the second half when a blatant handball from Daggers goalkeeper Tony Roberts outside the area unbelieveably went unpunished despite the protests of the RMI players, with Warren Peyton's follow up shot being cleared off the line amidst a goal mouth scramble.
Substitute Liam Coyne came inches to grabbing a point for RMI towards the end but his glancing header flew narrowly wide of Roberts' left-hand post, leaving RMI to reflect on past glories and their seventeenth home defeat of the season.
This evening's game was a largely drab affair between two sides with little more than pride to play for ahead of the summer break, although the little meaning of the game somewhat went out of the window at times with several confrontations between the players and a whole lot more 'tasty tackles' going in from both sides, threatening to light up an otherwise disappointing game for the 245 spectators.
RMI only occasionally threatened Tony Roberts goal, and even then it was largely only from distance, although Ben Jones looked troublesome up front for RMI for most of the evening, but unfortunately that was backed up with very little end product for his endeavour.
The visitors took the lead on the half-hour mark when one of many Daggers corners was deflected away, only for the ball to find it's way to Chris Moore to put the ball past Jon Worsnop and put the Essex side in front, claiming his 21st goal of the season in the process.
Although RMI looked good in their approach play, on occasions playing some excellent one and two-touch football to move the ball around the field, there was very little at the end of it, which will certainly frustrate RMI boss Steve Bleasdale as he looks to next season and the possibility of challenging for an immediate return to the Conference top flight.
The game could've turned in the second half when a blatant handball from Daggers goalkeeper Tony Roberts outside the area unbelieveably went unpunished despite the protests of the RMI players, with Warren Peyton's follow up shot being cleared off the line amidst a goal mouth scramble.
Substitute Liam Coyne came inches to grabbing a point for RMI towards the end but his glancing header flew narrowly wide of Roberts' left-hand post, leaving RMI to reflect on past glories and their seventeenth home defeat of the season.
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