1998 Season Reports: ROCHDALE HORNETS 28 LEIGH CENTURIONS 10

Rochdale Hornets 28 Centurions 10

By Dave Parkinson

Hornets Yorkshire connection of player-coach Deryck Fox and former Leeds hooker Mick Shaw had too much guile for Leigh at Spotland Stadium. Both played important roles as Rochdale achieved successive victories for the first time in 1998 and left Leigh three points adrift at the foot of the table.

This reversal brought a depressing ninth consecutive defeat for the Centurions, but in the process wiped memories of the 20-64 pummelling by the Hornets just a month earlier.

Despite the final score, there was little to choose between the packs, but Hornets with the likes of Fox, Paul Topping, Shaw and Willie Swann in their line-up had more far more attacking organisation.

Leigh began the match brightly and thought they had scored the first points of the game on five minutes when teenage threequarter, Stuart Dickinson showed strength to brush Jason Green's attempted tackle aside before handing the ball for Anthony Murray to dive over. Centurion celebrations were cut short when referee Ronnie Laughton disallowed the try because of a forward pass.

Rochdale swept upfield with four penalties and Deryck Fox adding the first of six goals in the seventh minute. Shortly after, ex-Leigh captain Topping claimed Hornets first try when a Fox crossfield kick caused panic in the defence and Ken Kerr sent his loose forward in at the corner.

Leigh roared back with Anthony Murray, Tim Street and Tau Liku well to the fore. Hornets defence was heroic as Leigh pounded the line and forced 18 consecutive tackles at one point. The pressure finally told in the 26th minute when Keiron Purtill slid a grubber kick to the in-goal area. On-loan fullback Coult misjudged the ball and James Arkwright took advantage of the situation for an opportunist score.

The scores were level for just five minutes. Leigh attacked when Purtill hoisted a towering crossfield bomb but former Keighley winger Andy Eyres caught on the full before dodging an Andy Fairclough challenge and setting off on a sixty metre run that brought Spotland to life.

The Centurions tried to settle into a defensive pattern but Hornets had gained the initiative. Shaw took full advantage of slack marker play to crash over, amid cries for a double movement.

Stuart Donlan kept Rochdale at bay with two superb try saving tackles in the space of sixty seconds before Centurion discipline lapsed before halftime. Tim Street dumped Topping in a late challenge that saw the Leigh player sinbinned for a fifth time in 1998. Fox missed the goal but made amends with another penalty, the final kick of the half to ensure Hornets an eight point cushion.

Leigh made a customary slow start to the second half as full strength Hornets looked to capitalise on Street's absence. Another darting run by livewire Shaw put Rochdale in a position where Fox created the opening for Martin Bunce to finish from ten metres.

Shaw lost possession over the tryline before Ken Kerr increased Hornets lead with a 54th minute touchdown. Fox converted another penalty on the hour to make it a commanding 28-6 lead.

Leigh then enjoyed their best spell of the match in the final twenty minutes but could only breach Hornets defence once when Donlan sliced through the smallest of gaps and carried two defenders over the line in determined fashion.

Rochdale were made to work much harder for the points than the score suggests but the backline and half-backs did not shine on a dismal July afternoon more reminiscent of October.