Gravesend & N 1 Leigh RMI 3

GRAVESEND'S five-match unbeaten sequence in the Nationwide Conference shuddered to an unexpected halt with Saturday's dismal performance against struggling Leigh RMI.

The Fleet, who had played above themselves in beating former Football League members Scarborough and Barnet in recent weeks while holding Chester and Doncaster, were always second best against durable opponents who registered a first away win of the season.

Manager Andy Ford, who kept his players back behind a locked dressing room afterwards, emerged 45 minutes later to confess that he was not surprised by the outcome.

"We're all about battling and scrapping but if you want to win the war, you must win the battle, which we didn't," he said. "It took us 20 minutes for us to put a tackle in and you can't expect to win football matches like that.

"But for the past four to five weeks we've been getting by on the bare bones and I've been waiting for it to catch up with us, which it did today. You can't keep papering over the cracks and getting away with it.

"That sounds like an excuse which it isn't because the hunger, pride and passion, which we're big on, was absent today. We ran into a brick wall which I've seen coming."

Once Leigh took a 47th minute lead through Ian Monk, the Fleet never looked likely to recover. Deano Maamria's soft goal in the 52nd minute virtually sealed Leigh's victory.

Fleet spirits rose when Che Stadhart converted an 80th minute penalty after Wayne Maden handled before a needless penalty conceded in stoppage time by Mat Lee and scored by Maamria confirmed the inevitable.

Gravesend: Wilkerson; Lee, Cole, Watt, Jackson; Kwashi, strouts, McKimm, Barr; Booth Stadhart. Substitutions: Owen for McKimm 30 mins, Sodje for Booth 71 mins, Wilkins for Barr 71 mins. Not used: Turner, Grace.

Attendance: 1,246.