By Matt Lawton
October 9 2010

Salford City maintained their recent revival under the temporary management of Rhodri Giggs, but it was a scoreline that few would have predicted until the pivotal sending off of Genesis goalkeeper Adam Judge shortly before half-time.

With both sides earning morale-boosting victories in midweek, the two local rivals battled it out in a largely even first half, though Leigh could feel justly aggrieved at the referee disallowing a Nick Eastham goal after thirty nine minutes, ruling that the Leigh frontman had nudged a Salford defender whilst heading in a pinpoint Paul Williams cross.

Prior to that, Leigh centre back Steve Brockley and recently-appointed Salford player/manager Rhodri Giggs both found their way in to the referee's notebook on thirty three minutes after a bit of a tiff in midfield following a challenge for the ball between the two.

In the minutes before before Eastham was disappointed to see his goal chalked off, Leigh twice went within a whisker of going in front, forcing a couple of terrific saves from Salford goalkeeper Andy Robertson in almost identical circumstances. First, on thirty seven minutes, Andy Heald's dipping shot was heading for the net before Robertson tipped it over, with James Olsen going similarly close a minute later when his thirty-yard effort was kept out by an ever better fingertip save from Robertson.

In the absence of Joe McKane, former Marine centre back Adam Farley was handed his Leigh debut alongside Steve Brockley in the centre of the Leigh defence, while Paul Williams returned to the left hand side of the Genesis midfield.

The game was turned on it's head on forty three minutes when a Leigh backpass was caught up in the strong wind and meant a foot race between goalkeeper Judge and Salford striker Steve Foster. Foster won the race and only managed to divert the ball well away from goal, but the two became involved in a tangle that resulted in the referee, somewhat harshly, showing a red card to Judge, Leigh's ninth of the season already.

Leigh were without a substitute goalkeeper, so it was left to left winger Paul Williams to put on the gloves and he was immediately called in to action, first to excellently tip over a Giggs free kick that followed the red card, and then coming up with a terrific reaction save to keep out an attempt from the resultant corner.

After keeping the scores level at the break, it took only five minutes of the second half for Salford to take the lead, albeit from the penalty spot. Foster was again involved in a tangle with a Leigh defender, this time seeing a penalty awarded and Andy Heald shown a yellow card after the Salford front man took a tumble in the area. Foster picked himself up to send Williams the wrong way from the spot and put the visitors in front.

Only minutes later and the crowd were forced to endure a wait of more than twenty minutes for the action to restart when the referee pulled up with an injury. Eventually, a replacement official was found to operate as a linesman, with the previous incumbant promoted to referee the game.

The long break did much to lower the tempo of the game and Leigh continued to battle but were broken with just thirteen minutes remaining when Martin Andrews was left unmarked in the penalty area and allowed a free header from a corner to double the visitors' lead, though it could be argued that the corner should have actually been awarded as a goal kick as the ball spun away from a challenge on the edge of the penalty area.

Foster hit a post before completing the scoring in stoppage time with a smart volley, though the end of the game was soured by a nasty-looking tackle on Joe Evans from ex-Leigh man Alex Mortimer that saw the latter booked and the former leave the pitch on a stretcher.

Genesis now travel to Curzon Ashton on Monday evening (7.45pm kick off) for an Evo-Stik League Challenge Cup tie before visiting the Deva Stadium and a Chester side re-formed out of the ashes of the old Chester City for a 3pm kick off next Saturday.

Leigh Genesis; Adam Judge, Danny Lyons, Andy Heald, Adam Farley, Steve Brockley, Rowan Garnett (Adam Strode 74), Paul Hopkins, Joe Evans (Gary Scott 88), Nick Eastham (Jordan Gerrard 82), James Olsen, Paul Williams. Subs (not used); James Bell, Scott Sephton