Leigh RMI 2

Southport 2 LEIGH RMI celebrated a rare home league fixture, earning a draw in a pulsating encounter with high-flying Southport at Hilton Park.

Poor weather meant the Railwaymen had not played at Hilton Park for 42 days since their slender defeat at the hands of Doncaster Rovers, yet the fluent, frenzied start to the game made it look like they had never been away!

Indeed, they could have been ahead after just 11 minutes.

Ian Monk tried his luck from 25 yards with a powerful drive across the greasy surface and after an error of judgement from Southport shotstopper Dickinson, Steve Jones side-footed home.

But Jones was ruled off-side and the double whammy was complete when the visitors opened the scoring three minutes later.

Swan hauled down Simon Parke on the edge of the penalty area, and although Stuart Whittaker's free-kick struck the wall, it deflected off the back of Neil Durkin to wrong-foot Dave Felgate.

Steve Jones, in arguably his most influential performance of the season, was making Southport's defenders earn their afternoon's wage and with another excruciatingly demonic run, earned a penalty after a reckless lunge from Scott Guyett. In the absence of Tony Black, Jones raised himself to assume the mantle of penalty taker, and sent Dickinson the wrong way to level things. Having assumed the initiative, Leigh had to capitalise on their superior possession, and following a defence-splitting through ball from the impressive Nicky Spooner, they did just that. Spooner's commendable vision and accuracy released Dave Ridings, who remained composed to fire home from 15 yards.

At 2-1 it was a totally different Leigh to the side that had started the game, and it seemed that they fancied their chances from anywhere. Rob Trees' long range effort stung the palms of Dickinson and Mick Morrell went close as part of an impressive display.

Nevertheless, the preservation of the lead was mainly dependent on Felgate, whose wonderful one-handed save to deny Parke was proof if proof be needed of his intention to prove the management wrong once and for all. However, left stranded by his defenders, Felgate was a helpless bystander when Whittaker's cross met the head of Arnold at the far post and the scores were level once again.

After six weeks of waiting for a game at Hilton Park, the crowd were rewarded with a dramatic spectacle which could have been swayed either way by the full-time whistle. Dave German went close from 20 yards, while David Blain's trickery allowed Felgate to, once again, rescue Leigh with a fine parry from Neil Grayston.

RMI: Felgate, Spooner, German, Durkin, Farrell, Swan, Monk, Ridings, Morrell (Matthews 87), Trees, Jones. Subs not used: Harris, Kielty, Critchley, Walker. Attendance: 835