FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 36
LEIGH CENTURIONS 10
By Dave Parkinson
A disappointing first half set the tone as Leigh crashed out of the Northern Rail Cup at the first knock-out stage to National League One new boys Featherstone Rovers.
The manner of the Centurions five-try defeat was most disappointing as Featherstone built on a solid opening that saw them monopolise possession for almost five minutes after debutant wing man Craig Johnson spilled a pass that was behind him.
Eventually, Rovers opened the scoring after ten minutes when Rovers moved the ball right to Jamie Field and his pass found Waine Pryce for the former Castleford and Wakefield flyer to skip around a static Chris Giles and cross in the corner.
Two minutes later, Nathan McAvoy put in a tackle and Ian Watson signalled something was wrong as the former Salford City Reds star writhed in pain. Following a four minute stoppage, McAvoy was carried from the field with a suspected kneecap dislocation. It was a blow that Leigh failed to recover from despite seeing Adam Rudd and Chris Hill go close to the line.
Rovers gradually commanded field position and increased the pressure on the Leigh defence until Irish international Paul Handforth feigned right before cutting back on the angle just as James Taylor slipped. It was hard luck on the Leigh skipper who put in a mammoth defensive stint during the game. Stuart Dickens tagged on the extras and five minutes later nudged over a penalty. This came after referee Jamie Leahy inexplicably produced a red card following a body check by Steve Maden on opposite number Loz Wildbore when the Rovers fullback sliced through the Leigh defence on a fifty metre run. The referee cited use of the forearm, but Rovers looked just as surprised by the decision.
An uphill battle became a real struggle after 26 minutes when swift passing and an inside run from Tommy Saxton saw the centre go more than half the length of the field for Featherstone’s third try.
At the other end, Dennis Moran’s trickery created chances but Rovers defence held firm with Lee Doran denied by Richard Blakeway and a kick to the corner going dead despite the best efforts of Johnson, in for appendicitis victim Dave Alstead.
With those chances gone for Leigh it was left to Featherstone to increase their lead when a cheap shot from Watson on Handforth was penalised and Dickens kicked his fourth goal to secure a 20-0 advantage.
The Centurions had to score first in the second half and did through Gareth Price. The big Welshman took the ball twenty metres out and ploughed through the line and over the fullback for Watson to convert in the 45th minute.
It was a much better opening and Leigh threatened to make a real game of it when following a penalty, the Centurions moved into range for Moran to offload and Johnson cross in the corner. Five minutes later, Leigh fell foul of Leahy themselves and Dickens goal made it 22-10.
From the restart, Moran retrieved possession but the try that Leigh desperately needed didn’t come and instead Handforth carved through the defence for his second try before the hour.
As Leigh tried to recover, they came up with more and more errors with Rovers easily picking off the pedestrian attack.
The Centurions best chances came through breaks from Mark Roberts and Moran but Leigh failed to follow them up. It was Rovers who scored a fifth and final try when former Widnes stand-off Andy Kain picked off a floated Moran pass to race away for a fifty metre intercept. Dickens tagged on his 7th goal but the last word was with Handforth, who rounded off an impressive game with a penalty three minutes from time to send the Centurions spiralling out of the competition.
With difficult league games against Sheffield and Halifax to come, plus a Challenge Cup tie against Warrington, Leigh must do better.
Match Facts:
Featherstone: Loz Wildbore, Waine Pryce, Andy Kirk, Tommy Saxton, Wayne McHugh; Andy Kain, Paul Handforth; Tony Tonks, Joe McLocklan, Stuart Dickens, Jamie Field, Richard Blakeway, Tommy Haughey. Subs: Kevin Eadie, Sean Hesketh, James Houston, Lee Lingard.
Tries: Pryce, Handforth 2, Saxton, Kain.
Goals: Dickens 7/8, Handforth 1/1.
Leigh: Steve Maden, Chris Giles, Nathan McAvoy, Tony Stewart, Craig Johnson; Dennis Moran, Ian Watson; Mike Morrison, Dave McConnell, Gareth Price, Adam Rudd, Lee Doran, James Taylor. Subs: Martin Keavney, Mark Roberts, Chris Hill, Kyle Neal.
Tries: Price, Johnson.
Goal: Watson 1/2.
Attendance: 1,121
Referee: Jamie Leahy.
Penalties: 12-8
Halftime: 20-0
Moan-of-the-Match:
It would be easy for me to say the referee for his terrible decision to dismiss Steve Maden, or the fact that Nathan McAvoy’s injury had a demoralising effect on the Leigh team, but the fans should now be seeing more of their side. Where was the support play and togetherness of other victories?
Man-of-the-Match:
One man really took it to the Featherstone forwards. He may have had a belated start to the season but Gareth Price looked lean and mean with a series of thunderous charges and a marauding try. If only his fellow forwards had provided more of the same.
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