By Matt Lawton
March 20 2010

Tom Ince's goal gave Leigh Genesis their fourth win in succession, but they had to late until late in the game to secure it after struggling to break down a dogged defensive performance from struggling Yorkshiremen Ossett Albion.

In a game that certainly won't have been much fun for any neutrals amongst the near-200 attendance at the LSV, Garry Flitcroft's Genesis side took all of eighty three minutes before they eventually mananged to make the breakthrough against an Ossett side who appeared to be perfectly handy to maintain a 0-0 scoreline.

With the Sky Sports cameras in attendance for a feature on the ex-Premier League players in the Leigh dugout in the shape of Flitcroft, Mike Quigley and Matt Jansen, the first half saw few chances as Leigh struggled to find a way past the nine men that Albion consistently had behind the ball.

Jordan Stepien saw a volley palmed away by goalkeeper Ben Saynor on nineteen minutes, before a cross-cum-shot from Stepien forced Saynor to nudge the ball over the crossbar on forty one minutes, but it was actually for the visitors that the best chance of the first half arrived when Tom Parker's looping shot thumped against Steven Drench's left hand post on the stroke of half-time.

If the first half was poor, then the second period was hardly any better, with the game reaching the eighty one minute mark before any action of note when Steven Drench launched a quick counter attack with a pinpoint sixty yard pass to send Stepien breaking down the left hand side before he cut inside to lay the ball off for substitute Andy Heald to fire narrowly over from the edge of the box.

However, the tension in the crowd was soon relieved as Genesis finally made the breakthrough on eighty three minutes with what proved to be the winning goal. Lee Woodyatt's cross from the right hand touchline appeared to be too deep to cause any danger, but Tom Ince did superbly well to retrieve the ball and resurrect the chance, cutting inside to beat Lee Connor before switching the ball on to his favoured left foot to send a fierce strike under Saynor and in to the net.

Having previously been keen to drag time out wherever possible, Ossett seemed to find an extra gear when loooking to quickly restart the game from set pieces and the like, but it was to avail as Drench kept his third clean sheet in a row.

With Curzon Ashton only managing to draw 2-2 at home to Woodley Sports, the victory drags Leigh level on points with the Tameside club, perfectly setting up the meeting between the two sides this Wednesday (24th April, 7.45pm) in a game that is to take place at Warrington Town's Cantilever Park, before Genesis travel over the Pennines to take on Garforth Town next Saturday (27th April, 3pm).

Leigh Genesis; Steven Drench, Lee Woodyatt, Kris King, Mark Ross, Chris Page, Dale Whitham, Jack Dorney (Chris Dykes), Steve Flitcroft (Andy Heald), Jordan Stepien, Richard Ratcliffe, Tom Ince