Leigh RMI 1 Halifax 1 by David Magilton: MARK Patterson is never satisfied. The Leigh RMI boss had just seen David McNiven tuck away his fifth goal in four games but was still critical of his star striker.

"McNiven is scoring goals and I can't ask anything more from him from that point of view, but I am am asking more from him from outside the box," said Patterson of the man he brought from Northwich during the summer.

"I am pleased he has scored, but he could do better regarding work-rate outside the box."

McNiven's strike, just 10 minutes from time, salvaged a valuable point for Leigh when it appeared the game has slipped away from them.

The Railwaymen displayed their usual battling qualities, but after missing a couple of earlier chances, it appeared that the well-organised Shaymen would take the three points. McNiven had other ideas and when Ian Monk whipped in a telling cross McNiven headed it back across goal.

A minute later McNiven could have grabbed a winner when Ged Courtney put him in the clear, but his shot, in a barren looking penalty area, went tamely to the keeper.

RMI had their chances and were unlucky in the third minute when Jamie Price twice cleared off his line to deny Paul Shepherd and Neil Robinson.

McNiven forced the Town keeper to save at full stretch from a long range shot, while Robinson should have done better than fire straight at the keeper when in the clear.

Town had their chances and particularly after the break when a new formation brought their dangerman Lee Elam more into the game. Leigh's keeper Stuart Coburn was up to the task and produced a string of saves to deny them.

Even he could do little to prevent Town going ahead in the 58th minute when Elam's quickly taken free-kick was set up for Craig Midgeley who blasted it home despite Coburn's desperate dive.

Patterson was relieved to have grabbed a point but clearly frustrated by some of his player's efforts.

He said: "We battled hard and showed character to get back on level terms but we have to channel it in the right direction. Halifax had a lot of crosses and headers but as far as clear cut chances went we had two or three more.

"Halifax had the lion's share of possession but that is what is to be expected from a full-time side. That is why we it is important for us to score our goals when we do get our chances."

RMI were hoping Coburn recovered from a leg injury for this afternoon's trip to Northwich Victoria.

Redmond celebrates double debut

STEVE Redmond made his debut for two clubs in the space of just seven days last week.

The unusual sequence came about after the former Manchester City, Oldham and Bury star played his first game in the Unibond League for Burscough only to join Leigh RMI in the Conference a few days later.

The 35-year-old found himself at Hilton Park because of his personal relationship with Manchester businessman Michael Peck, the new chief executive at Leigh RMI.

"It has been a strange week," confessed Redmond. "Last weekend I made my debut for Burscough and then I saw Mike Peck during the week, and he said he wanted to bring me in at Leigh. I have known him for about 15 years from when I was at Manchester City. He is a businessman who wants to take the club forward.

"The manager is trying to bring in some experienced players, like myself, who have dropped out of the Football League and hopefully we can improve the squad and bring the young lads along.

"I know a couple of the lads in the squad and have been made welcome since I have arrived. It is a good challenge for me and hopefully I can help on the pitch with a bit of talking and improve the young lads."

Leigh will be hoping their money worries will be a thing of the past now that Peck had joined the club.

RMI chairman Bill Taylor said that Peck had made the initial approach to the club.

"We have had several meetings with him and invited him on to the Board as executive director with the possibility of him becoming chairman in the near future. He seems very keen. He just wants to be involved in a football club.

"He wants to bring the club forward and is excited about the prospect of a new stadium in three years time. Money could be made available but his main objective is to get the people of Leigh to watch RMI."

Redmond impressed, particularly in the first-half, when his vision and time on the ball gave RMI a new dimension but he tired and it was no surprise when he was substituted in the 78th minute.

Redmond admitted: "I played four or five games at Burscough pre-season and scored the winner against Harrogate in the opening Unibond match last week, but I am only about 90 per cent fit and was taken off towards the end because I was feeling it. I should be fully fit in another couple of weeks.

"Usually I am sweeper or central defender but I played just in front of the back four and tried to get the loose ball, if I could, which was a bit foreign to me, but I was doing the job the manager asked me to do.