Not for the first time in his career Dino Maamria came back to haunt his former Leigh RMI team-mates.
The game appeared to be drifting towards an aimless draw, with each side seeming happy with a point after coming into the game on the back of three defeats.
However, Maamria had other ideas when he got on the end of a perfect Matt Hocking cross to fire home from close range 13 minutes from time.
After conceding 14 goals in their last three outings Leigh handed a debut to veteran goalkeeper Paul Crichton but even he, with all his experience, could not have played in a game that included 44 fouls and not a dirty tackle.
Maamria set out his stall as early as the seventh minute when he drove just wide from 20 yards.
RMI hit back when Gareth Stoker sent Chris Lane away down the right but when the cross came in Karl Rose headed over, before Gary Williams fired just over the bar.
It was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Anthony Elding fired in from the edge of the box, with the ball bouncing beyond the grasp of the unfortunate Crichton.
Maamria then squandered a chance when his control let him down, before Brian Quailey pulled a shot wide of an open goal, following a mix-up between Barry Miller and Craig Gaunt.
A patient build up three minutes after the break brought an opportunity for home forward Alex Meechan, but he fired into the side netting.
A poor Leigh clearance then allowed George Boyd a run and shot at goal that Crichton plucked out of the air.
RMI drew level on the hour when Stoker drove home from 20 yards with Gary Williams prominent in the build up.
The visitors almost regained the lead from the restart when Elding found himself free in the box, but he was denied by Crichton's block.
Maamria then had his say in the 77th minute when he stabbed home from close range after Boyd had sent Hocking away down the right, to send in a pinpoint cross.
Five minutes from the end an Andy Roscoe set-piece almost had the 235 hardy souls cheering for an equaliser, but Rose somehow failed to beat keeper Andy Woodman from close range.