RMI living on borrowed time

His side salvaged a point with an 89th minute scrambled goal from Martyn Lancaster, but it was not enough to satisfy the RMI boss.

The Conference strugglers have just seven games remaining and with the only realistic target of a third from bottom finish, they need to overhaul Farnborough.

Margate's future in the Conference is far from certain because of their ground problems and if Leigh can finish third from bottom they may be saved from automatic relegation.

That is why only a point was not enough from this game, reduced to a farce at times by the fierce wind.

"I am so disappointed, results wise, because we would have pulled two points back on Farnborough had we won," said Starbuck. "

"As regards to effort and endeavour I am pleased, the lads gave their all, but it is about winning games.

"It was very windy but it was the same for both sides. It literally was a game of two halves. They had the wind in the first-half and I thought we were very unlucky to come in 1-0 down at half-time. We played superb and you can't legislate for that type of free-kick in the top corner.

"We still felt we could win and we worked hard. We used the elements to our advantage. We deserved a point and should have won it. At the end we missed three sitters and their keeper kept them in it."

With the wind at their backs Telford did not exploit the conditions to good effect and caused Leigh few problems until they struck in the 38th minute from a free-kick on the edge of the box which Tony Naylor fired into the top corner. Leigh had created the better chances and outstanding keeper Chris McKenzie twice denied Wayne Maden in the box.

Telford had their backs to the wall after the break and were penned in their own half for much of the time, but thanks to the outstanding McKenzie Leigh looked to be heading towards a third successive defeat until the ball from a corner went loose Lancaster somehow managed to force it over the line.