Wakefield 3 Leigh Genesis 0

By Matt Lawton
August 24 2010

Despite a spirited second half performance, Leigh Genesis stumbled to their second successive defeat at the start of the Evo-Stik League Division One North campaign, leaving themselves with too much to do after the half-time break having conceded two first half goals.

After suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Curzon Ashton on the opening day of the season at the weekend, Mark Maddox's Leigh side made the trip across the Pennines in determined mood, coming up against Wakefield team who lost their opening game at Skelmersdale United by two goals to one and in similar fashion to Leigh, having taking a first half lead in that game.

However, things didn't start well for Genesis and they fell behind on nineteen minutes when Gary Scott's attempted clearance rebounded in to the path of Danny South, who blasted a half volley past Genesis goalkeeper Adam Judge.

Wakefield were a fraction away from doubling their lead on twenty eight minutes when a corner from the left hand side found Luke Danville at the back post, and he hammered a strike against Judge's crossbar, three minutes before they hit the woodwork for a second time when Tom Denton headed a cross from the right flank against the bar.

Leigh had offered only a sporadic threat going forward, but they were hugely unlucky not to equalise on thirty two minutes when a terrific Paul Hopkins cross from the right hand side found Adam Strode at the back post, who sent a scorching half-volley towards goal that was denied only be an equally impressive reaction save from Wakefield goalkeeper Jan Zolna.

That piece of attacking play resembled something of a false dawn for Leigh, however, when they conceded their second goal of the evening on thirty five minutes when a cross from the right hand side was hooked in to the top corner of the net by Denton, albeit with Judge getting a hand to the strike and coming agonisingly close to keeping it out.

The second half began with what proved to be the first of two bookings in the evening for Kieran Molyneux, when he brought down a Wakefield attacker on the edge of the box, before the half started to develop with Genesis largely dominating for long periods from that point.

A minute after Molyneux's booking, Joe Evans showed a great touch to bring the ball down and thread a ball through for front man John Lawless, but an irregular bounce deceived him and saw the ball run through to Zolna.

Lawless was again involved two minutes later, turning smartly on the edge of the penalty area before sending a low shot towards goal that was well held by Zolna.

Slovakian goalkeeper Zolna had to be at his best on sixty four minutes when Leigh substitute Andy Heald won the ball from Wakefield right back Steve Nicholson and released Adam Strode on goal, who's low shot was expertly deflected away by the foot of Zolna at his near post.

Wakefield mounted a rare attack on sixty six minutes when Judge was called on to make a terrific save to palm a Delroy Ferguson header on to his right hand post, before Joe Evans and opposite number Adam Jones both finding themselves in the referee's notebook after a sixty ninth minute confrontation on the left hand touchline, with Jones particularly lucky to remain on the field after continuing the feud with seemingly every available Leigh player for several minutes afterwards.

Leigh continued to create goalscoring chances, with Hopkins missing a chance on seventy eight minutes when fired over the bar after being released towards goal by a wonderful Nick Eastham through ball, only for the game to be decided on eighty one minutes when Wakefield grabbed their third goal of the evening.

A free kick delivered from Wakefield's left hand side managed to miss the mass of bodies in the penalty area and found Tom Denton at the back post to claim his second goal of the evening, with Leigh's seemingly plausible appeals for a foul on Judge falling on deaf ears.

Leigh continued to look for what would amount to little more than a consolation goal, and Hopkins went close again on eighty five minutes when he burst down the left channel before cutting inside on to his right foot and curling a strike a whisker around the far post, with Leigh's disappointing evening summed up on eighty nine minutes when Kieran Molyneux was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Leigh Genesis; Adam Judge, Daniel Lyons (Andy Heald 60), Gary Scott, Simon Pendlebury, Kieran Molyneux, Mark King, Paul Hopkins, Joe Evans (Chris Dykes 80), John Lawless, Nick Eastham, Adam Strode (Rick Gleave 73)

WAKEFIELD 3 LEIGH GENESIS 0
Date	Tuesday 24th August 2010
Venue	College Grove, Wakefield
Attendance	83
Half time	Wakefield 2 Leigh Genesis 0
Competition	Evo-Stik League Division One North
Scorers
Wakefield	Danny South (19) Tom Denton (35, 81)
Sent off
Leigh Genesis	Kieran Molyneux (two bookable offences)

Wakefield 3 Leigh Genesis 0

Posted by: LG-SA.co.uk (IP Logged)

Date: 25/08/2010 00:40

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