Doncaster Rovers 4

Leigh RMI 0 STEVE Waywell and his Leigh RMI side must want the season to end right now after their defensive frailties were exposed in dramatic style by Doncaster Rovers.

Leigh were outplayed in every sense of the word and should have fallen behind in the 14th minute. Simon Marples' cross was headed home powerfully by Jimmy Kelly, only for referee Perkin to bring play back for an earlier infringement on Nicky Spooner.

With every attack after the disallowed goal, the hosts looked dangerous in the form of lively young forward Tristram Whitman who was involved in almost everything the Yorkshiremen created.

The next chance of note was from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area which Francis Tierney magnificently curled around the wall only for Dootson to pluck out of the air, but the following minutes were marred by a glitch in officialdom that saw three players needlessly cautioned. Leigh's Tony Black was shown a yellow card after an apparently innocuous clash with Miller, Dave Ridings was booked for a two-footed challenge that won the ball and, most laughably of all, Doncaster's early substitute Hawkins was etched into the referee's notebook for a push on Monk in the centre circle.

It threatened to degenerate into a farce from thereonin, and it was almost a relief that the deadlock was broken soon after to give the officials something else to focus on.

Unfortunately, it came for Doncaster, a carbon copy of the goal that decided November's clash at Hilton Park. Swan was penalised for impeding Barry Miller on the six yard line and the influential Jamie Paterson dispatched his penalty low and hard into the bottom corner.

After the interval, Leigh collapsed with a regularity that was formerly a by-word of the England cricket team, and Rovers' netted three times in 10 minutes to replicate the heavy defeats also inflicted by Stevenage Borough and Yeovil in the last two weeks.

On 48 minutes, Tierney's left-wing cross was only half cleared by Farrell, and Paterson launched into a stunning half-volley that flew into the bottom corner with Dootson unmoved after a deflection off Swan, whose luck had certainly deserted him for the day.

Doncaster had their spirits up and went for the jugular. Whitman was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when he beat three men with fine individual skill before being dispossessed by Trees, but Jimmy Kelly bagged the third moments later when he seized on a loose ball from 18 yards.

It may not have been more comprehensive a defeat in scoreline, but it was certainly Leigh's poorest showing of the season on the road and was compounded by a comical fourth three minutes later. Tierney's near post cross surprised everybody before finding its' way into the net after cannoning off Swan and Whitman although Tierney will be credited with the goal in the final analysis.

Doncaster were trying their luck from everywhere from that moment onwards; jubilant in scoring four after netting only four in their last six games. Dean Barrick's shot from 30 yards was disappointing and Whitman, who so deserved a goal of his own, sliced a 15 yard shot over the top.

Leigh looked in vain for a consolation and were denied five minutes from time when substitute Andy Mason charged down Andy Warrington's laboured free-kick and slotted home, only for the linesman to flag for handball.

RMI: Dootson, Trees (Mason 58), German, Spooner, Farrell, Swan, Monk, Ridings, Kielty, Black, Jones. Subs not used: Felgate, Hayder, Morrell, Connelly.

Booked: Black (38 mins, foul) Ridings (39 mins foul).