Match Reports about Leigh Centurions since 1998

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Friday 8 January 2010

1999 Season Reports: April: LANCASHIRE LYNX 24 LEIGH CENTURIONS 44

LANCASHIRE LYNX 24 LEIGH CENTURIONS 44
By Dave Parkinson.

Leigh were made to work hard by injury hit Lancashire in an open game that yielded twelve tries before Lynx biggest home crowd of the season.

The large Leigh following expected an easy game and were stunned into silence after three minutes when former Leigh loose forward Sean Geritas showed strength to power his way over for a converted try.

Leigh were soon on level terms as stand-off Radney Bowker showed a superb dummy to PJ Solomon and accelerated inside the stunned centre on the last tackle.

Home winger Campbell briefly regained the lead for Lancashire with a penalty but Leigh hit back in the 17th minute when make-shift centre Heath Cruckshank put Paul Wingfield over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Two minutes later the Cruckshank-Wingfield combination split the Lynx defence open with the latter racing 40 metres for his second try.

Another Leigh try wasn't long in coming.

A four man move was finished by former Widnes hooker Anthony Murray and the Centurions looked set for a massive score.

The visitors hadn't counted on the fighting spirit of the home side, typified by former Wigan back "Doc" Murray who swept in for two tries before half time to cut the Centurions lead to just 22-18.

Andy Fairclough extended Leigh's slender advantage in the 46th minute with his tenth try of the season from dummy half after Murray's fifty metre run was halted by a try saving tackle from Lynx "Gladiators" star Neil Parsley.

Dave Whittle was despatched to the sin bin in the 53rd minute and the Lynx reply was immediate when Simon Smith crashed in for 6 points to again peg the Leigh lead to just 4 points.

Leigh were floundering and Lynx applied pressure to the visitors defence. The game breaking moment came in the 61st minute with Lynx on the attack. Darren Abram put winger Lee Rushton away with a pass, only for the youngster to drop the ball 10 metres from an open line.

Less than 5 minutes later Fairclough called a move at the scrum base and sent scrum half Scott Hilton haring through a gap to finish from forty metres. Wingfield converted and at 34-24 Leigh were back in command.

Jamie Kennedy and Murray added further scores in the final 8 minutes as Lancashire finally ran out of steam.

A spirited performance from an injury ravaged team augers well for the home side, while Leigh are fast becoming a real top 5 threat.

Attendance - 777

Lynx 24

Tries - Lynx (minutes in brackets)
Geritas (3), "Doc" Murray (29, 36), Simon Smith (53).

Goals - Lynx
Campbell (4 from 5)

Leigh 44

Tries - Leigh (minutes in brackets)
Bowker (8), Wingfield (17, 19), Anthony Murray (26, 75) Fairclough (46), Hilton (66), Kennedy (72)

Goals - Leigh
Paul Wingfield (6 from 8)

Gamestars:
Lynx No.6 : Doc Murray - Playing in the unusual position of stand-off the Kiwi skipper was a constant threat and his two tries were well deserved.

Leigh No.9 : Anthony Murray - Leigh's own namesake had an excellent game with the ball, constantly driving Lynx back with inventive play from acting halfback.

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