Leigh Genesis 0 Witton Albion 8

THE encouraging recent performances of Alan Kershaw’s Leigh Genesis side completely disintegrated at Crilly Park this evening as visitors Witton romped to a remarkable 8-0 Evo-Stik League Division One North victory.

Although they lost 1-0 at home to Wakefield in their last outing, Leigh’s performance that afternoon gave the assembled faithful at Crilly Park a degree of confidence ahead of the visit of ninth-placed Witton Albion, but Genesis did not get close to Albion.

The stage was set with the visitors scoring two goals within 60 seconds of one another after 16 minutes of play.

The ball broke free for the unmarked Dave McPherson to slot home at the back post only seconds before Carl Frost doubled Witton’s lead in spectacular fashion with a terrific 25-yard strike that flew past Leigh goalkeeper Adam Judge, who has since signed for Chester.

A rare Leigh foray up the slope in Witton’s half brought controversy on 19 minutes when young frontman James Carey beat Witton goalkeeper Matt Cooper but was dragged down in the midst of knocking the ball around him on the edge of the penalty area, only for Cooper to escape with just a yellow card for his offence.

The visitors converted a penalty on 34 minutes when Andy Kinsey was fouled in the area by Steve Ferrigan, with Kinsey picking himself up to despatch the spot kick past Judge before Leigh went close on 38 minutes when Carey was released on goal but fired wildly over when clean through.

The half was completed with a fourth Witton goal when Frost knocked in his second at the back post from a Calum Botham cross.

Similar service continued after the break with Witton adding a fifth goal after 31 seconds when Judge failed to keep hold of the ball and Richard Foulkes had the simple task of finding the empty net.

Genesis debutant Nathan McDonald was introduced up front on 50 minutes to replace defender Steve Brockley as the Leigh player/coach struggled with an injury but it did little to stem the flow of play with Witton scoring a sixth goal on 68 minutes as Kinsey lashed in his second goal.

Only five minutes past before Witton’s Foulkes added a seventh for his side before McPherson notched his side’s eighth and final goal on 81 minutes.

Leigh Genesis: Adam Judge, Bernard Williams, Alex Grisedale, Steve Brockley (Nathan McDonald 50), Steve Ferrigan, Rowan Garnett (Davison Banda 59), Sam Fairhurst, James Carey (Chris Dykes 72), Nick Eastham, Dale McDonald, James Kelly. Subs not used: Ali Asgari, Jack Burke.