WHILE Leigh RMI clocked up a cracking mid-week win with a 4-2 home scoreline over Workington, two other local UniBond Division One sides fell to dismal defeats.

ATHERTON LR went down 2-1 at Ashton United on Monday and on Tuesday RADCLIFFE BORO lost 1-0 at Fleetwood.

Wednesday's was undoubtedly a vital win for RMI. A first League victory of the season and against a side that also looked set for a long tough struggle. No one at the club will be fooled into thinking the corner has been turned just yet. A win is a nice feeling but there were still some worrying signs in the victory.

3-0 up at half time almost turned into a nail-biter when Workington got two goals back through RMI defensive lapses. That sort of complacency has cost the club dear recently. Last season there was a feeling for a long time that relegation would be avoided by dint of the fact that Droylsden and Whitley Bay looked certain to finish as the bottom two.

That didn't happen and RMI paid a heavy price. This season has already gone from one where consolidation ready for getting back to the top flight next time around is a probability to one of getting to a safety zone where consolidation may become a possibility.

Of the sides down at the bottom of Division One at the moment, all look to have the potential to pull clear over the coming months and the sooner the complacency is a thing of the past the better for the Hilton Park outfit.

Manager Steve Waywell has signed Colin Booth, a left back from Curzon Ashton, and ex-England semi-pro international midfielder Tony Edwards once of Marine and Barrow, from Chorley.

Centre back Steve Walmsley has impressed Waywell over the last two games. "He is an out and out winner and that's just what we needed," he said. "I'm still on the lookout to improve the squad and it looks as though I've got two new additions already lined up. We also have the added bonus that Steve Nugents' work commitments will end within the next couple of weeks and he will be back with us."

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