Match Reports about Leigh Centurions since 1998

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Thursday 7 January 2010

2002 Season Reports: Play-offs: HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 36 LEIGH CENTURIONS 10

Giants reach Grand Final - 22/9/02
Huddersfield Giants 36 Leigh Centurions 10
By Dave Parkinson
For 25 minutes the Qualifying Semi-Final was everything you would expect from a big game, nerves were aplenty and the tackling fierce from both teams, then disaster struck for Leigh when halfback pair John Duffy and Bobbie Goulding were helped from the field within three minutes of each other.

Missing their two playmakers the Centurions struggled on as Huddersfield turned up the heat with ball in hand.

The opening 16 minutes the game had been scoreless before the first real chance fell the way of the Giants. A crossfield kick was spilled by Oli Marns and Stanley Gene scooped up the loose ball to race over from 15 metres Steve McNamara kicked the first of five goals and Huddersfield were on their way.

Leigh replied strongly but Duffy was injured chasing a low kick through that had the home defence in all sorts of trouble. From the resulting possesion Simon Baldwin looked set to score but the ball was lost at the crucial moment.

Goulding was then involved in an incident with Rob Roberts and went down like a shot. Leigh got the penalty but lost the influence of their former international for the game. With no recognised halfback on the bench, Leigh were forced to reshuffle. Willie Swann, who started the game at loose forward, moved to halfback with John Hamilton slotting in alongside him.

The Centurions were still trying to overcome that blow when Giants skipper Steve McNamara burst a tackle to race over for a 20 metre solo score. Two minutes later Leigh again got over the line only for Swann to be adjudged held up.

Leigh put everything into their opening 35 minutes but were guilty of looking to the break when Huddersfield scored a third try. Gene was the creator, stabbing a low kick in behind Leon Felton for former Leeds fullback Marcus St Hilaire to touchdown. MacNamara converted brilliantly from the touchline to hand the Giants a handy 16-0 lead.

The new half was less than a minute old when Chris Thorman slipped under Neil Turley to score and he repeated the dose moments later when good work again from MacNamara caught the defence out. With the loose forward kicking both goals Leigh trailed 28-0 and were looking down the barrel of a huge defeat.

That was something Paul Terzis battlers didn't deserve and instead of raising the white flag they attacked Huddersfield with renewed enthusiasm. Following a heavy first half penalty count in the Giant's favour referee Ian Smith began awarding a token penalty to the Centurions. From one such penalty, Dale Cardoza took a quick tap, carved himself an opening and raced 50-metres. Upon reaching the line, Cardoza's progress was checked but the one-time Huddersfield centre looked to have placed the ball for Leigh's opening try. Bizarrely Mr Smith ruled no try and the Centurions battered away at the Giants line without reward.

From their next possession Gene linked brilliantly with St Hillaire only for a brilliant stop by Neil Turley to put his opposite number over the sideline. It was one of a number of crucial tackles by Turley who tried valliantly to keep his line intact.

On 51 minutes Huddersfield looked to be building anoher attack when a pass was intercepted by the Centurions Jon Roper. Unfortunately he was chased down over 50 metres but a quick play the ball saw Willie Swann plunge over. Turley added a quick conversion but any hopes of a comeback were quashed on the hour mark when Leigh were penalised inside their own quarter and McNamara made the score 30-6.

Leigh put the restart out on the full and Huddersfield took up attack once more only to have a 6th try denied when Turley got underneath the ball as Darren Turner drove for the line.

The Centurions grabbed their second try of the game through Cardoza moments later, after good running from John Hamilton and a great pass from Paul Rowley. Turley couldn't convert but something seemed to click with the Centurions as their attack began to ask questions of the Huddersfield defence once again.

Good three-quarter play sent Marns racing away and as he chipped over the oncoming defence he was impeded by Huddersfield winger Heffin O'Hare, in full view of the referee. O'Hare was sent to the sin-bin yet it was the giants who increased their lead seven minutes from time when Andy Rice touched down from a rather suspicious pass. Thorman converted from the touchline to complete the scoring, although Paul Anderson had another Leigh try ruled out after Turley kicked over from a scrum.

Man-of-the-Match: Paul Rowley, John Hamilton and Rob Ball were all outstanding in defeat and share my choice as Man-of-the-Match.

Leigh: Turley, Marns, Roper, Cardoza, Felton, Duffy, Goulding, Bradbury, Rowley, Whittle, Isherwood, Baldwin, Swann.

Substitutes: Ball, Hamilton, Anderson, Knox.

Tries: Swann, Cardoza.
Goals: Turley 1.

Huddersfield: St Hillaire, O'Hare, Crabtree, Cooper, Hallas, Gene, Thorman, Slicker, March, Wittenburg, Atkins, Roberts, McNamara. Substitutes: Cruckshank, Molyneux, Turner, Rice.

Tries: Gene, McNamara, St Hillaire, Thorman 2, Rice.
Goals: McNamara 5, Thorman 1.

Half-time: 16-0 to Huddersfield.

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