JUST when you think Worcester City are back on the play-off trail, they chuck in a result like this.

Chris Smith's last-gasp winner against Redditch seemed to have instilled a renewed belief that Andy Preece's side could reach the play-offs.

But those hopes were quickly dashed by the sub-standard display that brought about Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Leigh RMI.

Thankfully, there weren't many there to witness it with just 175 spectators dotted around the 10,000 capacity of Hilton Park, also home to rugby league side Leigh Centurions.

But, in such a vast expanse of empty terracing, City's loyal travelling support made sure they were heard.

"What a load of rubbish" was the chant aimed in the direction of the Worcester players as they exited towards the dressing rooms.

The 40 or so who journeyed up the M6 had been hoping for the team's second three-point haul in a week to set them up nicely for the visit of whipping boys Lancaster tonight.

It all started promisingly enough when Adam Webster, who scored four times in the corresponding fixture last season, tapped home from George Clegg's throw on 14 minutes. That, though, was about all the away contingent had to cheer for the rest of a dreary afternoon.

Leigh turned the game on its head with two goals in seven minutes before the break and would have won by more had it not been for the heroics of goalkeeper Danny McDonnell.

The hosts got back into the contest on 33 minutes. City conceded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area and Owen Roberts curled it left-footed past McDonnell via the head of Danny Hodnett.

Leigh then stunned the visitors with a second five minutes before the interval, which owed much to the persistence of new signing Kevin Rapley.

The former Chester City striker got free of Worcester's defence and easily brushed aside the weak challenge of last man Justin Thompson before lofting the ball calmly over the advancing McDonnell from 20 yards.

City created virtually nothing in the second-half and not even changing from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 after the introduction of Nick Colley and Chris Cornes could inspire them. Indeed, they had to wait until the 85th-minute for Mark Danks to blaze their best chance over the bar after latching onto Cornes' raking pass.

Leigh, who climbed out of the bottom three with this result, pressed for a third and came close on three occasions late on.

On 80 minutes, Chris Simm was played in by substitute Kieran Lugsden but McDonnell spread himself to block the striker's effort.

Within 60 seconds the same player failed to take advantage of a mix-up in the City defence as he drove the ball into the side netting with the goal at his mercy.

And, with a minute remaining, Rapley forced a fine save out of McDonnell before Colley cleared under pressure.

A miserable day was not helped by a first-half hamstring injury to Adam Burley and a fifth booking of the season for Danks, who now misses the visit of Hyde United on March 10.

On this showing, eight more victories to reach the play-offs seems a long way off.

City: McDonnell, Hodnett (Colley 63), Burley (Khan 30), Smith, Thompson, Lyttle (Cornes 63), Ward, Webster, Danks, Wilding, Clegg. Subs not used: Warmer, Findlay.

Attendance: 175.