2006 Season Reports: BATLEY 14 LEIGH 8

Batley Bulldogs 14
Leigh Centurions 8
By Dave Parkinson

A tame defeat to the Batley Bulldogs brought Leigh crashing down and ended their five game winning sequence. In truth the Centurions were a pale imitation of the team that had defeated Widnes so convincingly a few short weeks ago.

If alarm bells had been set off by the Centurions second half performance seven days earlier, they were ringing loudly at Mount Pleasant. Despite having second half advantage of the Mount’s infamous slope and a breeze; the Centurions never got going.

Batley made a promising start and their confidence grew especially when Michael Wainwright cut back on the angle following a lovely pass from Steve Jones to go in for the first try after three minutes.

Leigh were soon back on level terms when former Bulldog Neil Roden, making his debut, put a lovely kick to the corner and Adam Hughes leapt highest to score. Julian O’Neill, making his comeback from a nagging ankle problem missed the conversion and for a short time the Centurions looked to be getting their game together before a penalty went against Ricky Bibey for an incorrect play-the-ball.

Just for a moment former Leigh halfback Jay Duffy looked to have found a way through the visitors defence but Bibey chased back to haul him back.

At the other end Leigh forced their way up the slope and Chris Hill thought he’d scored with a delightful piece of footwork. Unfortunately for the second row, referee Ronnie Laughton ruled a double movement.

With the kicking of Duffy forcing Leigh to return the ball from deep it was only a matter of time before the dogs struck again, Ash Lindsay scoring at the corner after good work from former Centurions duo Sean Richardson and Ollie Marns.

The last ten minutes brought some frantic play from both sides with Danny Speakman doing very well to steal the ball from Richardson in a one-on-one tackle. This started Leigh rolling forward again and this time they came up with points after Grix scythed through in midfield and Hill cut back on the inside with defenders over-reading the play to score. Once more O’Neill was off target and when the Centurions conceded a penalty for a high tackle on the tall figure of Jon Grayshon; Jones added his only successful kick of the game to give the hosts the narrowest of halftime leads.

Straight from the restart Batley went on the attack when they regathered the kick-off. Twice in two minutes good covering from Speakman and Gaskell forced Marns and Lindsay over the sideline but when Leigh knocked on early in their tackle count, Batley made them pay.

Duffy was the key figure, running to the line and veering away at the last minute before a perfect inside pass saw club record try-scorer Craig Lingard add another to his impressive club tally after 44 minutes.

Leigh were on the ropes, static on defence and it showed when Lindsay caught several defenders flat footed but somehow Lingard spilled the pass with only Gaskell to beat. A try there would have killed the game but Leigh were given hope when Hughes broke down the left after 54 minutes. With a couple of options open too him, the outside free and the fullback chasing across, he elected an inside pass for Greenwood but it bobbled at the winger’s feet and the chance was lost.

A mistake from Grix heaped pressure on the Centurions and their cause was further affected when Hughes was removed from the action after a four minute delay for treatment on a neck injury.

Despite this, the real Leigh briefly made an appearance when a high speed move involving O’Neill, substitute Carl Forber and Dana Wilson was pulled back for a forward pass after the prop had sailed under the posts after 64 minutes.

When Forber’s kick forced a drop out moments later the tide appeared to be turning but after a superb dummy and surge forward, O’Neill lost the ball over the line and another chance went begging.

Batley were on their feet and when Gaskell broke on 72 minutes all he needed was support and the Bulldogs looked like they would crumble. It didn’t arrive and the Centurions went back to playing their uninspired brand of rugby with Jones missing with a drop goal attempt before Richard Moore thundered into a hole with three minutes remaining. Again support was missing and an inch perfect tackle from the much smaller Lindsay brought the prop to ground.

It proved to be the game killer as the gallant Batley side wound the clock down to secure an important win against a disappointing Leigh team.


Man-of-the-Match: Jay Duffy – never stopped prompting and outplayed his opposites. For Leigh honourable mentions for youngsters Danny Speakman, Gary Sykes, Chris Hill, John Cookson and James Taylor on a day when so many others turned in poor performances against the enthusiastic Bulldogs.

STATS

LEIGH

1 Scott Grix
2 Dean Gaskell
3 Adam Hughes
4 Danny Speakman
5 Lee Greenwood
6 Neil Roden
7 Aaron Heremaia
8 Ricky Bibey
9 Gary Sykes
10 Dana Wilson
11 James Taylor
12 Chris Hill
13 Julian O’Neill
Subs (All Used)
14 Carl Forber
15 Gareth Pemberton
16 John Cookson
17 Richard Moore

Tries: Hughes (9), Hill (35).
Goals: O’Neill 0/2

BATLEY
1 Craig Lingard
2 Jamie Stokes
3 Michael Wainwrigt
4 Ollie Marns
5 Ash Lindsay
6 Steve Jones
7 Jay Duffy
8 David Rourke
9 Kris Lythe
10 Martin McLoughlin
11 Sean Richardson
12 Tim Spears
13 Andy Boothroyd
Subs (All Used)
14 Alex Clemie
15 Jon Grayshon
16 Anthony Henderson
17 Jack Watson

Tries: Wainwright (3), Lindsay (29), Lingard (44)
Goals: Jones 1/4

Referee: Mr R Laughton
Attendance: 837