NEIL Young vowed to replace the players he feels are under-performing after Chester FC blew the chance to move level on points at the top of the Evo-Stik League First Division North.

Rick Gleave’s injury-time strike earned struggling Leigh Genesis the most unlikely of points yesterday and led the Blues to being given a public dressing down by their manager.

Young, whose second-placed side have now taken just two points from their last three home games, said: "It’s not the first this has happened so I am not over-exaggerating when I say that certain people will have to be replaced.

"I’m not going over the top - this is my job and I’m not prepared to put my neck on the line for those sorts of performances.

"Ultimately the buck stops with me. I’ll be the one getting criticised - rightly - because I put the team on the pitch, but if I’m going to take criticism I’m going to take criticism for the right reasons.

"My sides never ever lack effort on the pitch but there were certain individuals out there who lacked effort."

Young was particularly infuriated by what happened after Carl Ruffer broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with his first goal since re-signing for the club.

Up until the point the veteran centre-back glanced in substitute Mark Peers’ cross, Chester had dominated possession yet lacked the guile, invention and poise to break down a second-from-bottom visiting team for whom goalkeeper Adam Judge was outstanding.

But having made the breakthrough, this was the time for the Blues to ram home their advantage against opposition with delicate morale after tasting defeat in eight of their previous nine matches.

Instead the opposite happened and, although Rob Hopley went close to making the game safe, Leigh grew in confidence and equalised in the 92nd minute with their first shot on target as sub Gleave took advantage of poor defending.

Young - a self-confessed tough taskmaster - said: "I want players who want to be playing here and want to be playing for this team but, particularly after we scored, I was looking at them and wondering whether they wanted the ball as they were going into areas where they were never going to receive it.

"It was just very disappointing as a game like that is one in which our players should excel. They sat off us and gave us time on the ball to pass, and against teams like that it is all about movement. But if you don’t move and don’t create space for others you’re never going to break them down."

With Andy Burgess struggling for fitness and Bradley Barnes joining Mark Connolly, Tom McCready and Roger Sharrock on the injury list, Young will bid to boost his midfield options before Saturday’s visit of in-form Lancaster City to the Exacta Stadium with the loan capture of a Crewe Alexandra youngster.