LEIGH RMI new boy Kris McHale hopes his gamble of moving to the struggling Conference side will pay off .

The 24-year-old Liverpool University student made his debut for the Railwaymen on Saturday, but hopes that the step up from the Unibond Premier Division will be a permanent one, with Leigh avoiding the drop.

RMI's fortunes look bleak, having lost their last five Conference games, but McHale says it will be a pity if they go0 down because he feels there is potential within the team.

McHale made his debut alongside experienced striker Carl Alford, who made his mark playing for Stevenage and Yeovil.

McHale said: "I hope we can turn it around. They are a good set of lads and I think the spirit is right. We need that one result to kick-start us off."

He certainly feels his partnership with Alford can only get better. "We just need a bit more work and understanding. We were both making the same runs and sometimes it didn't work out. I am looking forward to changing it on Saturday against Morecambe.

" It's a step up from the Unibond Premier. It's a bit quicker, but I thought I didn't look out of place. It is nice to be put straight in. The chance to play in the Conference was a big temptation for me, but just to stay there now is a big factor.

"I have to take everything on board and repay the manager, who tried to sign me when he was at Hucknall. When he found out I wasn't on contract at Burscough, he tried to sign me again.

Last year was a big one for McHale when played for British Universities in the World Student Games in Korea and he helped Burscough win the FA Trophy.