Leigh RMI vs. Hucknall Town preview

By Matt Lawton
December 3 2006

After Friday night’s victory over Hyde United lifted RMI out of the Conference North relegation zone, Hucknall visit Hilton Park on Tuesday evening with Leigh looking to get their third successive home victory.

Whilst the RMI squad were putting their feet up on Saturday afternoon for a well-earned rest, Hucknall played out a thrilling 3-2 home victory over Moor Green that lifts them to eighth in the Conference North table, though they’re just four points behind leaders Workington as the tight promotion race really begins to heat up.

Although RMI boss Stuart Humphreys is likely to keep faith with the side that defeated Hyde, veteran centre half Mark Maddox faces a race against time to be fit to play after leaving the field at half-time on Friday night because of injury.

If Maddox fails a fitness test, then it is likely that Steve Brockley will partner Gavin Lee-Ellison in the middle of the RMI defence, with Andy Roscoe moving to left back and Lee Unsworth again starting on the right.

With Roscoe potentially moving in to the back four, it leaves an opportunity for Ian Taylor to get back in to the side, though Kingsley Jones, an impressive debutant on Friday, could possibly play on the right flank with the in-form Steve Settle on the left, while Eddie Hussin and Hugh McAuley are likely to resume their central midfield partnership.

Hucknall are one of the few sides in the Conference North without a hefty former RMI representation in their side, with only defender Russell Cooke previously playing at Hilton Park, albeit in a particularly short spell in 2003, though former RMI boss Phil Starbuck has been both a player and a manager at Hucknall in previous years.

Last season’s festive meeting between the sides was another of those rare encounters where RMI were looking for a second home league win on the bounce, and they managed it thanks to two first half Scott Willis goals in a 2-1 victory. The RMI faithful will be hoping for much the same at Hilton Park on Tuesday evening as they hope for a bit of breathing space between Leigh and relegation rivals Barrow, who fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Worksop on Saturday.