A MATT Walwyn goal after just two minutes of the second half was enough to secure victory for big-spending visitors AFC Fylde in a bruising Bank Holiday Monday clash at Crilly Park.

Both sides were back in league action just 48 hours after the two had differing fortunes in the FA Cup preliminary round, with a first Joe Evans goal enough to secure progress for Leigh with a 1-0 win over Runcorn Linnets at Crilly Park, while Fylde stumbled to an unexpected 3-1 defeat to league rivals Skelmersdale United.

Genesis striker John Lawless suffered an injury in that win over Runcorn, and as such Leigh boss Mark Maddox was forced into a degree of re-organisation against Fylde, choosing to use Nick Eastham as a lone striker with Joe Evans playing just behind him as an attacking midfielder, with player/assistant manager Gary Scott coming in to the side to play alongside Andy Heald to form an experienced central midfield partnership.

Leigh had the first decent chance of the game when Mark King delivered a well-worked corner that found Paul Hopkins unmarked at the back post, with the Genesis right winger volleying over the crossbar on 11 minutes.

Goalkeeper Adam Judge then nonchalantly plucked the ball out of the air when Matt Kay played in Walwyn, who tried to dink the ball over Leigh’s former Formby ‘keeper.

Although Fylde had the upper hand in terms of possession and territory, Eastham and winger Adam Strode barely stopped running for the Leigh cause and it was with some optimism that Leigh went in at the break deservedly on level terms.

However, after such a hard-working first-half performance, it came as a hammer blow to Genesis to fall behind after just two minutes of the second half when Walwyn was afforded enough space on the left hand side to run through on goal and slot past Judge.

Having virtually run himself into the ground, Strode was given a well-earned rest on 68 minutes when Paul Williams was brought on to make his return from injury but the visitors appeared to have sealed victory on 72 minutes when Walwyn found the net again, only to be denied by the offside flag of the linesman.

Four minutes later the visitors were again to be frustrated by the linesman’s flag, this time Stringfellow seeing his celebrations cut short by an offside decision after heading in a Jamie Milligan free kick.

Rowan Garnett and Chris Dykes were both introduced from the substitutes’ bench in the hope of finding an equaliser but Leigh struggled to create anything against a watertight Fylde defence and as a result are left still searching for their first points of the season.

Leigh Genesis: Adam Judge, Danny Lyons, Mark King, James Bell, Scott Sephton, Andy Heald, Paul Hopkins, Gary Scott, Joe Evans (Chris Dykes 76), Nick Eastham (Rowan Garnett 83), Adam Strode (Paul Williams 68).

Leigh's next outing comes on Saturday, 3pm kick off, with a short trip to Trafford, before Yorkshire side Garforth Town are the visitors to Crilly Park on Tuesday, 7.45pm kick off.