2007 Season Reports: DEWSBURY RAMS 27 LEIGH CENTURIONS 18

DEWSBURY RAMS 27 LEIGH CENTURIONS 18
Dave Parkinson at Tetley Stadium.

Leigh Centurions lost again on their travels in National League One as they came unstuck at Dewsbury where halfbacks Francis Maloney, Dean Lawford and Liam Finn did most of the damage.

The Centurions should have opened scoring after just four minutes when Aaron Heremaia sent Anthony Stewart into a gap with a lovely pass, the skipper then followed up on Stewart’s outside only for the pass back to Heremaia to drift forward.

It was instead the Rams that opened scoring after 10 minutes when Francis Maloney gave a flick of the wrists and darted through the slightest of gaps ten metres out. He added the goal and then a penalty a few minutes later.

Leigh moved into good position, securing a couple of drop outs but despite solid work from their pack, they failed to make much of an impression. Rob Smyth, standing in for the injured Miles Greenwood then picked up a neck injury of his own and the game was stopped for several minutes while the former Warrington back was given on field treatment and then carried off.

Leigh defended their line well and countered, again working their way into the Dewsbury “20”. Adam Rudd kicked forward and the bobbling ball was picked up by Bryn Powell who ran into the Leigh half before a diving tackle from David Alstead halted the winger. From the play the ball, Dewsbury quickly moved play left and the Centurions defence ran out of numbers as Austin Buchanan got the ball inside despite the desperate attempts of Adam Thomas and Danny Maun touched down for Maloney to add his third goal.

Shortly afterwards, Maloney limped from the field with Liam Finn moving into the halfbacks.

Finally the Centurions replied when a bull-dozing run from John Cookson brought the prop his 4th try of the season from close range. Damien Couturier converted and Leigh hit the break with an eight point deficit.

The Rams grabbed their third try four minutes into the new half when Alex Bretherton touched down a Lawford cross-kick. Finn converted and Leigh replied 12 minutes later when Stewart broke from deep and got a pass away, via a ricochet to Leroy Rivet who twice kicked on to regather and beat Austin Buchanan to the corner. Aaron Heremaia converted but the Rams struck again on the hour when Buchanan got the better of Rivett on a kick and Finn landed the touchline conversion.

Still Leigh didn’t give up the fight and good play on the right saw the Centurions keep the ball alive for Adam Thomas to score his first try for the club and with 64 minutes goneit looked like Leigh would mount a stirring comeback. The Centurions hadn’t anticipated a stern Rams defence that held firm with Leigh unable to make much impression despite a wealth of possession. Eight minutes from the end Finn slotted over a drop goal and despite the best efforts of John Clough, James Taylor and new boy Sebastian Martins, the gap was too much to make up.

Dewsbury Rams: Preece, Powell, Bostock, Maun, Buchanan, F Maloney, Lawford, Hobson, Haigh, D Maloney, Robinson, Bretherton, Walker. Substitutes: Finn, Kelly, Helme, Hirst.

Leigh: Smyth, Rivett, Couturier, Stewart, Alstead, Ainscough, Heremaia, Cookson, Clough, Styles, Rudd, Thomas, Taylor. Substitutes: Hill, Richardson, Martins, Wilson.

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).