Genesis Back to Winning Ways

Ossett 0 Leigh Genesis 2

  TUE 26 AUG 2008

A goal in each half saw Leigh Genesis return to winning ways with a comfortable victory away to Ossett Town in Leigh’s first Roses battle of the season.
 

With key defenders Andrew Teague and Rob Marsh-Evans still on the sidelines through injury and midfielder Tom Field serving the final game of a four match suspension that was carried over from last season, Genesis were hoping to improve on the disappointment of Saturday.
 

Once again backed by a vocal travelling support, Leigh made a lightning start to the game, taking the lead after just eight minutes when Darren Mansaram defied calls for offside from the home defenders, chesting the ball down on the edge of the area and, whilst turning towards goal, firing a terrific left foot volley in to the net for his second goal in three games.
 

Despite playing down what could be certainly considered to be a sizeable slope at Ingfield, hosts Ossett were struggling to get in to the game, with Chris Holland a matter of inches away from doubling Leigh’s lead with a rocket of a shot from twenty yards out that flew narrowly over the crossbar, with the particularly impressive Josh Wilson ensuring that the Yorkshiremen posed little threat to the visiting defence.
 

Leigh started the second half in the same dominating manner that they finished the first, Ossett goalkeeper Richardson doing superbly well to save a Mansaram shot with his legs after the striker had been put in the clear by a delightful Holland through ball, before Richardson was again called in to action to palm away a Brad Maylett free kick that was heading straight for the bottom corner of the net.
 

Immediately after missing that chance, Maylett almost became the villain of the piece, carelessly giving the ball away to the counter-attacking hosts, Maylett’s blushes saved only by a timely Alex Mortimer block at the back post.
 

With fourteen minutes remaining, winger Maylett made up for that error by sealing the win for the visitors, sweeping the ball home from eight yards after a succession of shots were desperately blocked by the home defence.
 

Even with the contest seemingly over, Genesis weren’t finished with their attacking exploits, Mansaram beating the offside trap before unselfishly laying the ball off for substitute Matt Berkeley to fire inches over before Mansaram had a shot headed off the line by Rob Pacey after the Genesis front man had beaten Richardson to a long ball down the slope.
 

Ossett’s frustrations at failing to make a mark on the game were summed up in the final minutes of the game, captain David Briggs being given his marching orders by Nigel Bannister for a second bookable offence after a late challenge on Leigh right back Paul Booth.

The victory sees Leigh clamber up to mid-table after four games played ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Worksop Town at their temporary Hucknall home.

 

Leigh Genesis; Steve Dickinson, Paul Booth, Alex Mortimer, Jonathan Goulding, Josh Wilson, Jerome Fitzgerald, Bradley Maylett, Chris Holland, Jordan Stepien (Matt Berkeley), Darren Mansaram, Jerome Watt (Richard Chetcuti)