Leigh Genesis continued with their 100% pre-season record, but they didn't quite have everything going their way this evening as Steve Bleasdale's side came from behind to beat a stubbornly resistant Formby outfit.
After last Tuesday’s 5-0 win at Atherton Collieries was followed by a 3-2 victory at Warrington Town on Saturday, Leigh Genesis travelled to Formby’s tiny but well-presented ground with a degree of confidence that they could comfortably defeat their Vodkat North West Counties League Division One opponents.
On a calm summer’s evening, it was the visitors that started the brighter, Richard Chetcuti failing to connect properly with a Darren Mansaram lay-off, his left foot shot straight at the goalkeeper after Bradley Maylett had done well to beat a man out wide before delivering his cross.
Jerome Watt made his first start of the summer and, rather than playing in his usual position on the left hand side of midfield, played in more a creative role behind the front two of Chetcuti and Mansaram, with Watt coming close on twenty minutes, a half-volley being well saved by the Formby goalkeeper after the former Fleetwood man had turned neatly on the edge of the penalty area.
It was just before the half hour mark that, against the run of play, Formby took the lead as Genesis captain Jerome Fitzgerald failed to properly control a simple pass on the edge of his own penalty area, being dispossessed by Formby’s alert striker who made no mistake in firing past a shellshocked Steve Dickinson.
The concession of that goal saw reorganisation in the Leigh ranks, with their original 3-4-1-2 formation being abandoned in favour of a more familiar 4-4-2, with Richard Chetcuti brought off for Karl O’Donnell.
The former Marine striker had only been on the field for a matter of minutes before he brought his side back on level terms, latching on to a delicious Watt through ball and lashing the ball past the goalkeeper for his second goal in three games.
The influential Watt almost gave Genesis the lead on the stroke of half time but flashed his shot narrowly wide of the target from the edge of the penalty area.
Half-time brought a couple of changes in the Genesis line-up for the second half, Tim Dittmer taking his place in goal while Jonathan Goulding was brought on to play at right back.
It was two of the starting players, however, that created the first chance of the second half, with Watt again being the centre of attention as he delivered a pinpoint cross from the left flank that Darren Mansaram headed against the right-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten.
After missing the first two friendlies of the summer with a hamstring injury, promising striker Jordan Stepien, a summer signing from League Two side Bury, made his long-awaited debut for Leigh Genesis as a substitute for Darren Mansaram, and almost got on the scoresheet with his first touch, his first-time shot from six yards excellently parried by the goalkeeper after another excellent Watt cross, with Chris Holland firing the rebound wildly over the crossbar, and indeed out of the ground as he tried to steer the ball past several defenders who had retreated to protect the goal.
After mounting such pressure on the Formby goal, it came as little surprise to see the visitors finally take the lead as Andrew Teague sent a bullet header in to the top of the net from Tom Field’s terrific right wing corner.
Substitute Danny Penswick came close to extending the lead, neatly turning with a deft backheel on the edge of the area, only for his shot to be superbly palmed away by Formby’s impressive back-up goalkeeper.
Stepien had a second chance to grab a debut goal but was denied by a low save from the goalkeeper when clean through, a chance that the former Nuneaton Borough striker will be far more likely to convert once he gets a little more match sharpness and fitness from upcoming friendlies.
The final chance of the game fell to Karl O’Donnell when he met a through ball on the edge of the penalty area, only to lob the ball just inches wide of the far post.
Although the victory was a comfortable one in the end, Formby were certainly a well-organised and well-drilled side that provided a welcome test for the Genesis side ahead of Thursday’s trip to FA Vase winners AFC Fylde (7:30pm kick off) followed by a home friendly with Woodley Sports on Saturday (3pm kick off).
Leigh Genesis (all used); Steve Dickinson, Bradley Maylett, Jerome Fitzgerald, Alex Mortimer, Andrew Teague, Rob Marsh-Evans, Jerome Watt, Josh Wilson, Richard Chetcuti, Darren Mansaram, Chris Holland, Jonathan Goulding, Danny Penswick, Karl O'Donnell, Jordan Stepien, Tim Dittmer, Thomas Moore, Tom Field