A MONTH after taking over at Hilton Park, Mark Patterson will oversee his first league game at home knowing that only a victory against Woking will do.

The long battle against relegation started with victory against Burton Albion last week, but far from having a relaxing seven days, the former Wanderers midfielder will use a low key friendly at Rossendale in midweek to blood some trialists.

Signings are imminent at RMI but it will be the same squad that takes on the Surrey side on Saturday. Martyn Lancaster and Neil Fitzhenry will continue duties at the heart of defence with Wayne Maden increasingly isolated on the bench.

It is far from the defensive "dream team" that was stuffed at the Kingfield Stadium when the two sides last met on August Bank Holiday.

Fitzhenry - whose recent rise to prominence in the Leigh squad has been impressive - was at fault for two of the second half goals on that occasion, as a Warren Patmore inspired team trounced Leigh 3-0.

Patmore will again be the man to stop this weekend. He netted twice from the penalty spot as the Cards beat Kettering last week and his goalscoring record against RMI reads four from the last four meetings.

But Patterson knows that if Leigh play well they can deliver a vital blow to those around them in the scrap to avoid Unibond football, and as his team start to take on less of a Steve Waywell look the future seems increasingly bright.