FOOTBALL: Leigh Genesis 5 Harrogate Railway Athletic 1 (From The Bolton News)

FOOTBALL: Leigh Genesis 5 Harrogate Railway Athletic 1

2:04pm Thursday 19th November 2009

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By Matt Lawton Leigh Genesis extended their winning run to five successive games with a resounding victory over struggling Harrogate Railway Athletic in a UniBond League First Division North fixture at Chorley's Victory Park.

After a terrific second half performance saw Leigh run out 4-0 victors at local rivals Prescot Cables at the weekend, a similarly explosive second period saw Garry Flitcroft's side extend their advantage over seventh-placed Bamber Bridge to six points, clawing themselves within three points of fifth placed FC Halifax Town in the process.

Leigh started the brighter, with Tom Ince seeing a low shot saved by the legs of goalkeeper James Mann at the near post on eleven minutes, three minutes prior to Chris Thompson seeing a diving header saved at the near post from an Ince cross.

It was against the run of the play that the visitors took the lead on thirty three minutes when Daniel Thirkell saw a header from a left wing cross saved by Drench, only for Thirkell to lift the rebound high in to Drench's net.

That shock lead lasted little more than three minutes when Genesis midfielder Jamie Baguley levelled the scores in an unusual fashion, curling a corner kick from the right hand side over ex-Leigh goalkeeper Mann and beneath the crossbar and in to the net. Barely a minute later and any doubts that Baguley's goal was a freak strike were dispelled when, in similar fashion to several attempts during Saturday's emphatic victory, he saw another attempt from a corner kick punched away by the goalkeeper from virtually beneath the crossbar.

Baguley's side didn't have to wait long for a second goal, however, taking a lead that they were never going to lose on thirty nine minutes when Tom Ince volleyed a high Jack Dorney flick towards to goal, with Mann saving Ince's attempt but powerless to stop Chris Thompson from poking home the rebound from a couple of yards out.

Just eleven minutes of the second half had passed when Leigh earned a two goal cushion as Jack Dorney broke clear of the Railway defence and placed his strike in to the net via Mann's right hand post.

Jordan Stepien showed a trademark first touch to create the space for a shot that was well saved by Mann before Harrogate's task became even harder on sixty eight minutes when Neil Ross was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence after a late challenge on Chris Page as the Leigh defender cleared the ball from the edge of his own penalty area.

Genesis winger Tom Ince has been in supreme form in recent weeks, but even he showed he has a human side when he dragged a shot across goal having been put in the clear by a precise Thompson through ball.

Thompson was involved in Leigh's next chance, fluffing the opportunity to claim a second goal of the evening when he chested down a Dorney cross inside the penalty area, only to disappointingly hammer his volley well over the crossbar.

With gaps appearing all across Harrogate's defence, Leigh finally got the fourth goal that they deserved on seventy one minutes when substitute Matt Jansen neatly tucked away his fifth goal for the club after collecting an Ince pass from the left hand side of the penalty area.

Jansen almost claimed a second minutes later with an ambitious first time strike from thirty yards that had Mann beaten but dipped narrowly over the crossbar.

The rout was completed with nine minutes remaining when Ince finally got the goal that his hard work deserved, once again breaking clear on goal and this time making no mistake in slotting home.

The victory provides the perfect warm-up for the mouthwatering FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round clash with Redditch United at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium at 3pm this coming Saturday (21st November), with tickets on sale now from the Leigh Sports Village Stadium box office costing £8 for adults, £5 for OAP's and students and just £2 for under 18's. With high-scoring performances such as those in recent weeks, that extra bit of support could be all that Leigh need to defeat a side who are two leagues above them but off the back of an 8-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the Blue Square North last weekend.

Leigh Genesis; Stephen Drench, Chris Page, Kris King, Karl Munroe, Jonathan Smith, Jamie Baguley (Andy Heald), Jack Dorney, Dale Whitham, Jordan Stepien (Matt Jansen), Chris Thompson (David Hill), Tom Ince. Subs (not used); Mark Ross, Ilie Morariu

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