Leigh RMI 2 Shrewsbury Town 2 by David Magilton: A LAST minute equaliser denied a vastly improved Leigh a valuable victory over a side determined to regain their Football League status at the first attempt.

Two heavy defeats had left RMI reeling, but they rolled their sleeves up and produced a battling display that saw them come from a goal down only to be denied victory in a heartbreaking finale.

Any point is valuable in the basement scrap that is the developing and manager Phil Starbuck believes that his side have now turned the corner and that they have learned some hard lessons from the recent maulings.

The Railwaymen restricted the visitors to one effort in the first-half and were somewhat fortunate to see Colin Cramb's volley rebound off the 'keeper and the former Bury striker's follow-up shot cleared off the line by Paul Shepherd.

The defence was caught napping a minute after the restart, however, when Duane Darby squared the ball for Cramb to crack home a 20 yards drive.

RMI got just the break they needed when Town's defence failed to clear Shepherd's cross and the ball fell to Dave McNiven who forced it home.

Nine minutes later and Leigh were ahead when Warren Peyton, who had previously had two free-kicks palmed over the bar, dipped a third attempt at the 'keeper's feet and the ever alert McNiven, tucked home his 11th goal of the season.

Leigh had worked so hard with Wayne Maden and new boy Carl Rezai influential in midfield, but just when three points looked to be heading RMI's way disaster struck when Luke Rodgers' shot rebounded off Neil Durkin straight into the path of Kevin Street who rammed it home.

Starbuck, who has added former Newcastle United defender Mike Harris to his squad, said: "I can't fault the effort and application. It is a point but the linesman has made a mistake in the last minute as the lad was offside. Another poor decision has cost us but we have to get on with it.

"We showed a lot of character and if we show that form we won't go down. If we play like we did against Telford we will be teetering on the brink.