Match Report

1 D Morton
2 M Ratcliffe
3 K King
4 C Page (capt)
5 B McHugh
6 N Linford
7 S Settle
8 K Brown
9 P Marsh
10 A Cunliffe 
11 D Whitham

Subs

14 N Bayunu (for 5, 63 mins)
15 S Parkinson (for 11, 82 mins)
16 K Lambert (for 6, 70 mins)

FC United moved up to seventh place and within one point of the play-off zone after comfortably beating Leigh Genesis 2-0 on Tuesday night at the opening of the Leigh Sports Village Stadium.

Jerome Wright had the honour of scoring the first ever goal at the new £17.5 million ground - unleashing a screamer after 17 minutes. And Jamie Baguley sealed victory in the 89 minute with a rasping long range drive ensuring the majority of the 1,302 supporters in attendance went home happy.

The Reds started very positively looking to put Saturday’s defeat to Witton behind them. The first chance fell to Carlos Roca after a ball through from Tristram Whitman gave the diminutive forward a chance to chip the keeper Danny Morton only for a defender to clear off the line.

United continued to have possession throughout the start of the match with Kyle Wilson winning a corner for the Reds in the 13th minute. The resulting corner was put in by Wright only to be headed narrowly wide by David Chadwick.

The Reds finally made all the possession count by breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute. Jerome Wright dispossessed Leigh’s Ben McHugh within the 18 yard box and then rocketed the ball into the top corner leaving the keeper no chance.

Minutes later, left-back Simon Garner nearly got on the score-sheet when his long range effort had to be tipped over the crossbar by Leigh’s young keeper.

FC United continued to pressure the Railwaymen’s defence with some testing runs from Roca and shots from both Simon Carden and Wilson, in which both went tantalisingly wide.

Leigh could have ended the first half on a high after a late challenge from Chadwick lead to a freekick on the edge of FC United’s 18 yard box. Steve Settle hit a sweet freekick only for the ball to go narrowly wide.

FC United continued to cause the hosts problems in the early stages of the second half with a great ball through from Wright to Wilson on the 52nd minute. Wilson shot at a charging keeper forcing the ball out for a corner.

Leigh’s young keeper continued to show his talent after he saved a very powerful shot from Wilson forcing it out for another corner. In the 61st minute, after some great link up play from Wright, Wilson gave Wright a chance to shoot and forced the keeper to make another good save.

FC United were still struggling to kill the game off so in the 68th minute Dave Neville was brought off for Baguely and Simon Carden for Tommy Turner in an attempt to get the second goal. FC United continued to press with Roca making a great run into the box in the 75th minute. Only great defending by Leigh’s Kyle Lambert stopping him getting a shot off.

Leigh had a golden opportunity to get back into the game in the 85th minute when poor defending by FC United led to Leigh’s Phillip Marsh having a one-on-one with Sam Ashton before firing the opportunity over the bar.

In the dying minutes Baguely doubled United’s league with a 30 yard screamer. The midfielder picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch, moved forward and then rifled it into the top corner. It proved to be the last action of the night as the United saw out the match and claimed another vital three points on the road.

Report by Joel Duncan.