Having gained a hard-fought victory against champions Broughton Park and, thus, remaining unbeaten at Malone Field all season, Saints now travel to Leigh and nothing less than a victory will guarantee a play-off position. Ironically, our opponents this Saturday could have done us a hugh favour by beating Glossop a fortnight ago, but, in a high-scoring game, lost 35-45.

Leigh are comfortably seventh, having won eleven and lost twelve of their games this season. Back in November, Leigh came against an Anselmian side still smarting from the under-performance the previous week at Broughton Park and, in an entertaining game in which both sides tried to play running rugby, Saints prevailed 42-12.

Leigh play an expansive game and their results reflect the free-scoring nature of their play. The week before the Glossop defeat, they scored 47 points against LSH and lost.

The Lancashire side, having spent several years in North One West, were relegated into South Lancashire/Cheshire 1 last season. Their six wins out of twenty-six games insufficient for their survival.

In our first year in North One West in 2011-12, we lost at Round Ash Park, 7-32, in the October, but won at Eastham, 14-3, in January 2012. Both clubs survived and ended the season with 51 points each. In our second and final season at the higher level, we lost heavily in December 2012 away, 10-53, and were also beaten in the return game at Malone Field, 12-29.

Anselmians will finish the 2017-18 campaign with their heads held high. It has been a successful season regardless of the result of today’s game and all supporters should applaud the work of Coach McKinney, his assistants and his players. They have turned Eastham into “Fortress Malone Field”, and would dearly love to finish the season by winning a play-off against Aspatria, who finished second in the North Lancashire/Cumbria league.