Skelmersdale United 0 Leigh Genesis 2

Former Oldham Athletic striker Leroy Chinthengah came off the Leigh Genesis bench to score two impressive goals in a victory that sees Garry Flitcroft's Genesis side leapfrog their hosts back in to a play-off position.

On a particularly breezy afternoon in West Lancashire, Leigh boss Garry Flitcroft made just one change to the side that lost 2-0 to leaders Lancaster City at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium on Good Friday, with the return to fitness of top scorer Jordan Stepien seeing him return to the starting line up in place of Matt Jansen, who dropped to a substitutes bench that boasted three attacking players.

If his choice of replacements was a declaration of Flitcroft's intent, then it was apparent in the opening minutes that his team shared that philosophy as first Stepien saw a dipping strike tipped just wide of the post by goalkeeper Ryan McMahon on three minutes before Andy Heald headed a Tom Ince corner marginally wide of the target on nine minutes.

Although the sides were enjoying their fair share of territory, it was certainly Genesis that were creating far more in front of goal, keen to make up for a limp 1-0 defeat to Skem in January, having previously thumped their near-neighbours 4-1 in the FA Trophy at the end of October.

Ince was making a nuisance of himself in a roaming role just behind Stepien, and the two linked up on seventeen minutes in a chance that saw Leigh go a fraction from taking the lead when Stepien's strike mid-spin from receiving an Ince pass was turned off the line by Shaun Foster.

The forty one minute mark saw Ince waste a decent opening on the counter attack after a lightning ball from goalkeeper Steven Drench picked out the Leigh flyer, who cut inside two defenders but dragged his shot wide of McMahon's left hand post, with Stepien failing to take advantage of a well-placed free kick on the stroke of half-time, drilling the ball straight in to the wall after Dykes had drawn a foul from Steve Akrigg when turning smartly on the edge of the box.

That free kick turned out to be Stepien's final act of the afternoon as he was replaced at the break by Jansen, and it was Leigh again who had the first chance of the second period when Akrigg was called upon to hack the ball off the line from a Chris Dykes rebound after McMahon had bravely Dykes' original attempt from a drilled Ince cross.

Dykes was replaced shortly after the hour mark by Leroy Chinthengah, and it didn't take long for the chance to pay off for Flitcroft as the striker quickly made a mark on the game with his blistering pace.

As he had shown throughout the afternoon, Tom Ince has a keen eye for a pass, and he did superbly well to pick out Chinthengah's run, who had cleverly made sure he was level with Akrigg to remain onside before racing through on goal and expertly slotting the ball underneath McMahon after seventy two minutes to claim his first ever Genesis goal on just his third outing for the club.

Chinthengah was a split-second from claiming another goal on eighty one minutes when he was inches away from collecting a rebound only four yards out after McMahon had failed to keep hold of a stinging Jansen strike, but it soon proved that Chinthengah wouldn't have to wait long for his second goal of the afternoon, putting the game beyond any doubt after eighty five minutes.

There appeared to be few options when Chinthengah received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area and lacking any available support, but he did well to create enough space to turn towards goal before unleashing a rocket of a strike that had hit the back of the net before McMahon even had chance to move and put a satisfactory seal on an impressive afternoon's work for Genesis.

Chinthengah was in the hunt again just two minutes later when he made a break down the left hand side before crossing for veteran midfielder Heald, who's shot was deflected just wide of goal by defeated Skem skipper Michael White.

In the midst of a tough Easter schedule, the win proves a huge boost to a Genesis side who, having slipped out of the play-off places with Friday's defeat, now find themselves with a one place and one point play-off cushion in fourth position in the league table.

Radcliffe Borough, eighth-placed but ten points adrift of the play-offs, are Leigh's next opponents on Thursday 8th April in a game that is to be played at Chorley's Victory Park with a 7.45pm kick off, before mid-table Bamber Bridge visit the Leigh Sports Village Stadium on Saturday 10th April with a 3pm kick off.

Leigh Genesis; Steven Drench, Lee Woodyatt, Kris King, Mark Ross, Chris Page, Andy Heald, Chris Dykes (Leroy Chinthengah), Steve Flitcroft, Jordan Stepien (Matt Jansen), Jack Dorney, Tom Ince. Subs (not used); Richard Ratcliffe, Anthony Filipek, Dean Porter