NORTH Leigh kept alive their outside chances of making the Southern league Division 1 South & West play-offs thanks to a 1-0 win courtesy of a cracking second-half winner from Brian Bowles.

North Leigh’s early efforts from Bowles and Morgan Williams were either wide of the mark or blocked.

Good interplay between Joe Burnell, Stuart Hole, Toby Clark, Bowles and Michael Hopkins ended with Elliott Osborne-Ricketts shooting wide.

Just before the break, Yate had a golden chance to open the scoring but striker Adie Adams shot tamely.

The winning goal came after 55 minutes.

Kieran Sanders turned inside the Yate full back Jake Cross and slipped the ball to Bowles on the edge of the box.

With his back to goal and closely marked by a defender, he swivelled and hammered a shot into the far corner past a startled Damian Freeman in the Yate goal.

This setback prompted continued pressure on the North Leigh defence.

With time running out, North Leigh had two glorious chances to wrap up the points.

Bowles lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box, only to see the ball tipped away.

Williams beat a couple of defenders carried the ball into the box and in a melee the ball was cleared, but not before strong appeals for a penalty were turned down.

The result leaves North Leigh, who entertain Thatcham Town today, seven points off the final play-off position.

North Leigh: Warrell, Hole, Hopkins, Clark, Franklin, Caton, Sanders, Bowles, Will-iams, Osborne-Ricketts (Reardon 79), Burnell. Subs not used: Mills, Organ, Parish Attendance: 132.