2006 Season Reports: OLDHAM 12 LEIGH CENTURIONS 52

OLDHAM 12 LEIGH CENTURIONS 52
Dave Parkinson from Boundary Park

Oldham brought the curtain down on their home league campaign with a 52-12 defeat which in the words of their Assistant Player-Coach Alan Hadcroft, “was same old, same old.”

The Centurions scored ten tries, including a hat-trick from prop/second row Chris Hill and braces from Scott Grix and Dean Gaskell, against a plucky but ultimately outgunned home team. After the game Tony Benson said, “From a coaching point of view I was pretty happy with the things we did and how we scored our tries. I’m particularly happy with the defence and the shape of it.”

“Chris Hill is a good young player. He scored a couple from the backrow. We sort of thought that’s where the tries might be and he obviously did. He was like a striker hanging around the goalmouth!”

The game started off in driving wind and rain but this did not appear to quell early enthusiasm from Leigh and they scored two tries in the opening five minutes.

Tommy Grundy grabbed the first after three minutes, marking his return after nearly 5 months out with injury.

When Leigh scored again two minutes later through the outstanding Hill, in support of former Oldham captain Ricky Bibey, it looked like the Centurions would run riot.

Oldham responded with right wing Andy Gorey in the thick of the action. Gorey thought that he’d opened the Roughyeds account after 8 minutes when a lovely short kick from Ian Hodson caught Scott Grix in two minds. Unfortunately for Gorey his effort was disallowed. A penalty then went against the Oldham man when in pursuit of a Paul Ashton kick moments later and Gorey was again cursing his luck when a Leigh knock-on went into his hands 60 metres out and the referee whistled no advantage. The Centurions then added a third try after 17 minutes.

Paul Prescott rampaged 40 metres before Grix supported to dive over in the wet from five metres out. Roberts added his second goal and Leigh were 16-0 up.

Oldham then took a rare scoring opportunity after 24 minutes when Lee Wingfield chipped over the defence and Tom Kilgannon pounced on a Danny Halliwell error.

This stung Leigh into action when good interplay between Glassie, Roberts and Heremaia produced the opening and Hill powered through to touch down.

After 34 minutes Oldham saw another try disallowed from the boot of Ashton when Dean Gaskell fumbled. Kilgannon dived on the loose ball only to be ruled offside.

Two minutes later, Lee Greenwood swept over at the corner after Adam Hughes astutely palmed the ball on and although Roberts missed with his conversion attempt, the Centurions led 24-6.

Oldham made a bright start to the second half and drove into range before Ashton saw his pass intercepted by Halliwell. Moments later Glassie split the defence but a try went begging.

With the influence of Paul Rowley growing, Leigh stepped up a gear; scoring four tries in 11 devastating minutes. Hill completed his hat-trick from Rowley’s foraging, then Bryn Hargreaves supported Rowley and Prescott to cross after 52 minutes.

Oldham tried to stem the tide but a dropped pass deep in their quarter saw a scrum set. Leigh moved play wide and after juggling the ball, Halliwell sent Gaskell over with a switch pass.

Roberts again turned creator for the Centurions 9th try when he fortunately gathered a rebound from his own kick to send Grix twisting over for his second try. Carl Forber added his fourth goal to make it 48-6 after 58 minutes.

Oldham continued their defiance and Chris Maye saw a perfectly good try disallowed for offside after 61 minutes. Jon Hough then saw a long run come to nothing before Gary Sykes and Grix combined to send Gaskell over in the corner with nine minutes remaining.

Greenwood saw a second try over-ruled by the officials and there was real comedy value for Oldham’s last try when a succession of hands and ricochets saw the ball go in-goal for Kilgannon to grab his second, converted from wide out by Ashton.

“It’s been a disruptive week.” Said Oldham Assistant and former Leigh player Alan Hadcroft, revealing that Steve Deakin had been away from the club with a virus. “The effort was there – again – but it was the same outcome, a lot of points against and not a lot for. We had four tries disallowed which could have changed the game slightly and Tom Kilgannon could have had a hat-trick. Individually there were quite a few good performances out there. It’s just not happened has it?”

GAMESTAR: Chris Hill – Showed good awareness for his three tries in a typical no-nonsense performance.

GAMEBREAKER: Hill’s second try after 28 minutes. Trailing 20-6, there was no way back for Oldham.

Match Facts:

Oldham:
1 Desi Williams
2 Andy Gorey
3 Dean Gorton
4 Alex Wilkinson
5 Alan Hadcroft
6 Ian Hodson
7 Paul Ashton
8 David Best
9 John Hough
10 Ged Corcoran
11 Lee Wingfield
12 Chris Baines
13 Mark Roberts
SUBS
14 Gareth Hayes
15 Tom Kilgannon
16 Matt Bottom
17 Chris Maye

Tries: Kilgannon (24, 77)
Goals: Ashton 2/2.
Sinbinned:
Dismissed:

Leigh:
1 Scott Grix
2 Dean Gaskell
3 Adam Hughes
4 Danny Halliwell
5 Lee Greenwood
6 Carl Forber
7 Aaron Heremaia
8 Ricky Bibey
9 Paul Rowley
10 Chris Hill
11 Tommy Grundy
12 Tere Glassie
13 Rob Roberts
SUBS
14 Gary Sykes
15 Paul Prescott
16 Bryn Hargreaves
17 Warren Stevens

Tries: Grundy (3), Hill (5, 28, 47), Grix (17, 58), Greenwood (36), Hargreaves (52), Gaskell (55, 71),
Goals: Roberts 2/5, Forber 4/4
Sinbinned:
Dismissed:

Referee: Paul Carr (Castleford)
Penalties: 7-12
GLDO: 4-0
Attendance: 1,004
Halftime: 6-24

Scoring Sequence:
0-4; 0-10; 0-16; 6-16; 6-20; 6-24. 6-30; 6-36; 6-42; 6-48; 6-52; 12-52.

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men-of-the-Match:
Oldham: John Hough. Leigh: Chris Hill.