By Matt Lawton
October 18 2007

Leigh begin a new era at Rivacre Park on Saturday when newly-appointed manager Steve Bleasdale takes charge of the side for the first time since returning to the club last week as successor to outgoing manager Stuart Humphreys, with the RMI's new boss looking to pick up three vital Blue Square North points.

Bleasdale last game as Leigh manager was a 2-0 defeat at Stevenage Borough on the final day of the 2004/05 Conference season, while his last victory at Hilton Park saw goals from Lee Mulvaney and Ben Jones clinch a 2-1 victory over Canvey Island on the April that saw Leigh relegated from the Conference after a five year tenure.

Bleasdale's last job in management was with Welsh Premier League side Bangor City, a role he occupied for just six months during the course of last season after the resignation of previous City boss Clayton Blackmore, ironically an ex-RMI player, although Bleasdale left the job towards the end of last season, citing the problem of travelling to North Wales as the main reason for choosing to leave the job.

The former Peterborough United boss takes charge of a side that are somewhat bereft of confidence after two of the past three outings saw embarrassing exits from both the FA Cup and Setanta Shield with 4-1 and 4-0 defeats at Harrogate Railway Athletic and league rivals Barrow respectively, although they did collect a point from a 1-1 draw with Solihull Moors at Hilton Park in what turned out to be the final game of Stuart Humphreys' reign as manager.

With RMI's FA Cup exit providing a 'free' weekend last Saturday, Bleasdale's charges will have had a full fortnight to recharge their batteries ahead of the trip to the Wirral, with Rivacre Park not a particularly happy hunting ground for the Railwaymen after a 2-1 defeat on the opening day of last season being preceeded by a dramatic 4-4 draw.

Hosts Vauxhall find themselves two points clear of RMI in eighteenth place in the Blue Square North table after a 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Blyth Spartans earlier this month, although they find themselves particularly vulnerable in defence after conceding twenty eight goals, twelve of which were at home, in just eleven league fixtures.