Accrington Stanley 4-1 Leigh RMI by Martyn Hindley: LEIGH RMI's early season bubble was popped emphatically at Accrington on Wednesday night - as Stanley celebrated their first home match in the Conference with a four goal mauling.

And things went from bad to worse for manager Mark Patterson after experienced midfielder Gerry Harrison was stretchered off with damage to the shoulder and collarbone midway through the first half.

The Railwaymen had named an unchanged side after defeating Dagenham and Redbridge four days previously and they started in an equally positive style. In the second minute, Nicky Hill's volley was parried by John Kennedy only for Neil Robinson to stab the rebound wide.

But a scrappy opening half was punctuated by a defensive lapse three minutes before the break that left the visitors chasing the game.

Miscommunication between Stuart Coburn and centre-half Neil Durkin saw the latter head a harmless ball past his onrushing goalkeeper, and Lutel James was the first to react to net the spoils.

James kept a cool head when carnage ensued once again in stoppage time as a cluster of players failed to clear Gordon Armstrong free-kick from the half-way line. After watching the ball trickle off the upright, Coburn then saw James squeeze the ball beneath him to double the margin.

"It was rubbish, schoolboy defending", bemoaned Patterson after the game. "It was very disappointing and we never recovered after that."

RMI's predicament worsened when Stanley extended their lead 43 seconds after the resumption - Paul Mullin smashing home the rebound after Armstrong's thunderbolt had been blocked.

Leigh continued to look nervous at the back and Hill was forced to clear his lines again after his initial error gave James the sniff of a hat-trick.

Instead, the striker provided an unwitting assist for Accrington's fourth when he beat Coburn only to see his ball hit the post and substitute Rory Prendergast applied the finish.

Leigh salvaged some pride with a consolation through David McNiven after Robinson had raced down the left flank and seen his cross-shot cannon off John Kennedy's legs.