Colne 1 Leigh Genesis 3

Three second half goals saw Leigh Genesis come from behind to overcome dogged North West Counties Premier League hosts Colne and earn their spot in the semi finals of the Lancashire FA Co-Operative Challenge Trophy.

On a freezing night high in the Lancashire hills, the two sides were finally able to get their quarter final underway after two postponed efforts in recent weeks, with a semi place at Leyland's County Ground at stake ahead of a Reebok Stadium final.

Playing in their first game in a full calendar month, Leigh started rather sluggishly, despite having the first chances of the game as the Colne defence made several last-ditch challenges around their penalty area as they struggled to clear a Jamie Baguley corner kick.

From the goal kick that eventually followed, the Leigh defence were caught out by a long ball from the goalkeeper that allowed a Colne front man to hare through on goal, only to be denied by a brave Stephen Drench block as he came off his line to meet the attacker.

Drench had to be at his best soon afterwards to come up with a terrific save on his left hand post to keep out a curling effort from the edge of the area, while the Leigh goalkeeper wasn't called needed to stop a stooping header that went just wide of his right hand post.

There was little Drench could do, however, when Colne deservedly took the lead shortly before the break as Billy Priestley thumped home a header from a free kick on the left hand side of the penalty area.

After a somewhat disjointed first half, an undoubted half-time grilling from Genesis boss Garry Flitcroft appeared to do the trick for the visitors as they quickly found themselves back on level terms, albeit from the penalty spot as Jordan Stepien smashed home his thirteenth goal of the season after Jack Dorney was bundled over when cutting inside a defender in the right hand channel.

With their tails up after the equaliser, Leigh quickly set about taking the lead and were a whisker away from doing so when Jamie Baguley smartly laid the ball off for Dale Whitham to attempt to place his strike in the top corner of the net, only to be denied by a fantastic save by the Colne goalkeeper to tip the ball over the crossbar.

That strike was certainly a sign of things to come, and the visitors didn't have to wait long to take the lead, doing so in hugely impressive fashion as Baguley lined up a free kick from the right hand side of the penalty area and sent his screamer of a shot arrowing in to the top right hand corner of the net before the Colne goalkeeper barely had chance to move.

With Leigh's confidence ever-increasing, victory was sealed soon afterwards with another well-worked goal as Stepien cleverly dummied a well-timed through ball from substitute Chris Thompson to allow Tom Ince to ghost in behind the defence and slot the ball past the goalkeeper for his side's third goal of the night.

Leigh had a late scare when a Colne man hared through on goal and appeared to be brought down by Drench, only for the referee and his assistant's to agree with Drench's claims that no contact had been made, while Richard Ratcliffe made his Leigh debut as a late substitute for Stepien.

The victory sees Genesis clinch their spot in the semi final where they will face UniBond League Division One North rivals Clitheroe on a February evening at the County Ground in Leyland, headquarters of the Lancashire FA, with the winners facing one of Lancaster City, Southport or Barrow in the Lancashire FA Co-Operative Challenge Trophy Final at the Reebok Stadium.

Before that, Leigh play their first league encounter in over a month when they travel over the Pennines to basement side Harrogate Railway Athletic on Saturday (23rd January, 3pm kick off), before the short trip to neighbours Warrington Town for a re-arranged league fixture next Tuesday (26th January, 7.45pm).

Leigh Genesis; Stephen Drench, Lee Woodyatt, Kris King, Chris Page, Jonathan Smith, Andy Heald, Jack Dorney (Chris Thompson), Dale Whitham, Jordan Stepien (Richard Ratcliffe), Jamie Baguley, Tom Ince (Chris Dykes)