NFP RD 25 LEIGH 66 OLDHAM 6
By Dave Parkinson
Leigh put their narrow defeat at Widnes behind them and returned to form with a resounding 12 try victory over struggling Oldham.
Anthony Murray, recalled at hooker after completing a three game suspension had an excellent game, crossing for a try hat-trick and he was instrumental in many of Leigh's best moves.
Following a disjointed opening by both teams, Murray stamped his authority on the game after 12 minutes with a forty metre sprint from dummy-half.
Paul Wingfield added the first of his 9 goal haul, but Oldham hit straight back when Brown and Leuila opened the defence and speedy centre Mead set sail for the line.
The flying Oldham back was tracked down by Stuart Donlan who pulled off a copybook tackle to put Mead into touch a metre from the line.
Returning captain Andy Fairclough split the defence in the 19th minute, putting Kennedy over for the games second try before Leigh hit injury problems.
Jamie Kennedy was forced off with a shoulder injury and James Arkwright was carried off after an innocuous looking tackle.
The rugged visiting pack tried to get the better of their opponents and succeeded in temporarily knocking them off their game with Round, Nadiole and Perrett in the thick of things.
Sandwiched between tries from Wingfield and Fairclough, Stuart Donlan set Hilton Park alight with an electrifying break that left a host of defenders in his wake but Leuila and Mead combined to haul the fullback into touch just of a deserved short.
With stand-off Webster in the sinbin for disputing Fairclough's first try, Oldham's task was made almost impossible as Leigh romped over for 3 tries in his absence.
Murray added his second try before halftime for a 28-0 scoreline and Phil Kendrick and Fairclough extended the score to forty points. Those early second-half tries for Leigh proved how costly a sinbinning can be.
In previous games, Leigh could be accused of slowing down, but for Oldham there was no respite.
Kendrick crashed over for his second try and was quickly followed by Ken Kerr, finishing a move started by Keiron Purtill.
Brown tried a short kick-off that forced a mistake. From the resulting scrum, Oldham worked the ball wide for Mead to display his pace and brush past Donlan in a try scoring run. Brown added the conversion and Oldham's loyal band of supporters finally had something to cheer.
Murray replied in typical fashion on the hour with his third, before Donlan grabbed a deserved try, supporting Ingram's break from the scrum.
Leigh's final try came 13 minutes from time when Andy Pucill and Fairclough
created the opening and substitute Mick Higham nipped over to end another fruitless day for the Roughyeds.
Leigh Centurions: 66
Threequarters: Donlan, Wingfield, Kendrick, Kerr, Halliwell
Halfbacks: Arkwright, Purtill
Forwards: Street, Murray, Whittle, Cruickshank, Kennedy, Fairclough
Substitutes: Pucill, Ingram, Norman, Higham.
Tries: (Mins in Brackets)
Murray (12, 40, 60), Kennedy (19), Wingfield (28), Fairclough (39, 43), Kendrick (41, 50), Kerr (54), Donlan (63), Higham (67).
Goals: Wingfield 9 (from 12)
Defeated
Oldham: 6
Threequarters: Leuila, Brassington, Meade, Jackman, McNicholas
Halfbacks: Webster, Brown
Forwards: Casey, Hough, Clegg, Round, Nadiole, Perrett
Substitutes: Crook, Brennan, Guest, Peralta.
Tries: (Mins in Brackets)
Meade (56)
Goals: Brown 1 (from 1)
Halftime: 28-0 to Leigh
Attendance: 1691 @ Hilton Park, Leigh.
Game Stars:
Leigh: Murray / Donlan - Hooker / Full-back
Oldham: Meade / Webster - Centre / Stand-off
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