SATURDAY 26th JANUARY 2008

LEIGH RAILWAY MECHANICS INSTITUTE 3 v 1 VAUXHALL MOTORS

BLUE SQUARE NORTH

Vauxhall’s chances of avoiding relegation from the Blue Square North were dealt a hammer blow at windswept Hilton Park on Saturday, by the divisions basement club, as they went down 3-1.

The first real opening of the game fell to the Railwaymen, when Motors keeper Lloyd Rigby turned a Luke Prosser effort around the post with a fine save.  Shortly after, the visitors had claims for a penalty turned down when Tom Field’s rasping shot struck an arm and then Leigh keeper Tim Dittmer saved well to deny Mark Reed.

On 34 minutes, Motors striker Paul Taylor curled a free kick that struck the base of an upright with the former Motors keeper stranded, but three minutes later, the home side took a somewhat fortuitous lead, when Mark Smyth’s corner flew straight into the net wind assisted.

After a quiet start to the second half, Motors were rocked back again on 58 minutes when Rob Talbot’s cross was mishit by Gavin Salmon, but with the visitors defence flat-footed, the shot trickled over the line.  Andy Mutch’s side gaineda lifeline seven minutes later, when substitute Keith Smith was adjudged to have been brought down inside the area and up stepped Field to comfortably convert the resultant penalty.

But any hopes they had of a comeback were quickly dashed when they failed to clear their lines and Smyth shot high into the roof of the net from an acute angle to make it 3-1.  Dittmer did produce a superb tip-over save to thwart Field’s well-struck volley, but in injury time, Leigh almost grabbed a fourth, when Danny Davidson’s mazy run ended with his shot cannoning off both posts before the rebound was blasted over the bar.

Vauxhall: Rigby, Hitchen (Smith 48), Dames, Field, Robinson, Holmes, Heler, Griffiths, Reed, Williams (Rapley 81), Taylor.  Sub not used: Egerton, Roberts, Murphy.