YOU just have to feel for LEIGH RMI joint managers Steve Waywell and Brian Hart at the moment!

The side has consistently been playing attractive, entertaining football - but losing!

A distraught Waywell said this week: "I'm getting sick of saying this, but I'm sick of opposing managers telling me how we are one of the best sides they've played and yet we've just come away with nothing!" The latest was ex-Manchester City full back Ray Ranson, now manager of Witton Albion. His side triumphed 3-0 in the UniBond League Challenge Cup second round replay on Wednesday at Hilton Park and afterwards he expressed his relief at getting through against RMI. "Ray told me afterwards that he was just glad to have made it into the next round because we had played so well. We had two chances early on in the replay that we missed then Steve Walmesley knocked a suicidal back pass and we go into the interval 1-0 down rather than the two or three up that we should have been.

"Again, in the second half, we had chances that we didn't put away and we conceded two more late goals. Honestly 3-0 absolutely flattered them. There was no way that there was that much difference between the sides, and Ray admitted as much.

"Still, I now know which players I want and I will hope to have made a couple of signings before today's home game against Matlock Town in the Trophy. Witton, including former Manchester United full back Arthur Albiston and ex-Blackpool player Tony Rodwell in their ranks, as well as Ranson and former Manchester City team-mate Paul Power as first team coach, go on to face Atherton LR at Crilly Park in the third round on Tuesday December 5.

RMI entertain Curzon Ashton on Wednesday in the Unifilla First Division Cup first round and travel to Bradford Park Avenue next Saturday. RADCLIFFE BORO'S experiment last weekend with a Friday evening fixture at Stainton Road was an outstanding success all round.

Over a hundred more spectators than this season's average home gate were attracted to the game to see Kevin Glendon's side storm to superb 3-0 victory.

The jubilant team boss explained: "It was tremendous for us to have so many more people on. We'll be hoping to stage more Friday night fixtures as the season progresses."

Boro have been hitting top form again but slipped up a little on Tuesday in being held to a 1-1 home draw with Ashton United.

Glendon will be hoping there are no repeats of that lack of concentration in this afternoon's home FA Trophy second round tie against Fleetwood, Tuesday's home Division One game against Lancaster City and next weekend's visit to Eastwood Town.

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