2008 Season Reports: LEIGH 33 WIDNES 24

LEIGH CENTURIONS 33
WIDNES VIKINGS 24
DAVE PARKINSON at Hilton Park

If this is the sort of game that will be served up in the National League’s over the next three years then fans are in for a treat. Hilton Park was definitely the place to be yesterday when the Leigh Centurions hosted Widnes Vikings.

Classic is perhaps a well used word in sporting terms but for Leigh at least there have been few times this season that the Centurions have been better and they needed to be.

“I thought the best team won on the day.” Leigh coach Neil Kelly said simply. “At half-time, I felt it was very similar to when we played Celtic Crusaders where we’d been on top and they then scored two or three tries late on. Half-time was a great opportunity to re-iterate that we had to stick to the gameplan, be patient and have confidence in what we were doing. Fortunately it proved the point. It was a great game of rugby league and we got the result, but Widnes played their part.”

Leigh opened the scoring after ten minutes with a break down the left involving Aaron Smith, Dave McConnell and James Taylor before Ian Mort skipped back on the angle and burned through the Widnes defence. Two-time Viking Ian Watson struck the conversion and Leigh were up and running. The Vikings saw an opportunity scuppered a couple of minutes later when hard-working Iain Morrison knocked on and there were further problems for the Vikings when Matty Strong was knocked unconscious following a low kick from returning Dennis Moran.

The former Widnes stand-off was at the hub of everything good about Leigh and his quick feet created the chance for Higson and the young backrowers second break of the game resulted in a try. Ex-Centurion Dean Gaskell then crossed for a fine try in the corner after a couple of quick passes from Matt Smith and John Duffy for Steve Tyrer to convert from an acute angle.

Leigh roared upfield again and after more Moran trickery Dave Alstead got over for another unconverted try on the half-hour.

That lead was cut four minutes later when on the back of a couple of penalties and good momentum Richard Fletcher went over from Bob Beswick’s distribution. Tyrer converted and then added a corking finish just out from half-time. Sam Barlow put in a curving run and offloaded for the ball to work wide to Tyrer. Spotting the smallest of gaps Tyrer hit the accelerator and managed to touch down in the corner with a couple of defenders hanging from his back. That put the Vikings in front although Tyrer’s failed conversion made it 14-16.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw Leigh hold sway on field position but they didn’t really threaten the Vikings and Smith was the man who broke the deadlock for the visitors when Jim Gannon’s offload found Fletcher and he passed to the scrum-half twenty metres. He then cut a huge swathe through the Leigh defence to finish strongly. Tyrer converted but Leigh went straight up the other end for Dave McConnell to go in off Moran.

Tyrer added a penalty before a high kick from Watson caused pandemonium. Ian Hardman fluffed his lines under pressure from Taylor and Alstead followed through to add his second try. Mort added his second conversion to edge the Centurions in front and set up a grandstand finish. Moran tagged on a drop goal before Widnes had a couple of opportunities when first Tyrer kicked in goal and then Gavin Dodd saw the ball palmed out of his grasp in a last ditch tackle.

With 90 seconds of normal time remaining Mort defused a kick superbly and two tackles later McConnell found Taylor, who slipped a pass for Tony Stewart, Adam Rudd was on his shoulder before Alstead swept inside Gaskell and Hardman. Although falling, Alstead had the presence of mind to regain his feet, and Watson was there to take the pass and clinch the game. Mort added his 3rd goal from as many attempts and Leigh moved back into 4th position.

It was disappointing.” Widnes coach Steve McCormack added. “I think we were in a winning position, but all credit to Leigh on the way they started the game and the way that they finished – it was excellent. We didn’t complete some crucial sets and there’s some decent players in their side like Dennis Moran, Toa Kohe-Love and Lee Doran and I thought three or four individuals really stood up for them. We struggled with the injury situation, losing Matty Strong was disappointing, because he’s been going really well, Chris Dean came off, but both players were sat on the bench at the end.”

GAMEBREAKER: Mort’s take of a very difficult kick 15 metres out gave Leigh confidence and two tackles later the game clinching play resulted in Watson going over.

GAMESTAR: Dennis Moran returned to the Leigh side for the first time in several weeks and the number six was highly influential against his former club.

MATCH FACTS

CENTURIONS
1 Ian Mort
2 Dave Alstead
3 Mark Roberts
4 Toa Kohe-Love
5 Steve Maden
6 Dennis Moran
7 Ian Watson
8 Mike Morrison
9 Dave McConnell
10 Lee Doran
11 Adam Higson
12 James Taylor
13 Aaron Smith
Subs (all used)
14 Adam Rudd
15 Tony Stewart
16 Chris Hill
17 John Cookson

Tries: Mort (10), Higson (18), Alstead (30, 65), McConnell (57), Watson (78)
Goals: Watson 1/3, Mort 3/3.
Field goal: Moran (72)
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

VIKINGS
1 Ian Hardman
2 Dean Gaskell
3 Steve Tyrer
4 Chris Dean
5 Gavin Dodd
6 John Duffy
7 Matt Smith
8 Iain Morrison
9 Bob Beswick
10 Jim Gannon
11 Matty Strong
12 Paul Noone
13 Lee Patterson
Subs (all used)
14 Josh Simm
15 Richard Fletcher
16 Gareth Morton
17 Sam Barlow

Tries: Gaskell (23), Fletcher (34), Tyrer (39), Smith (54).
Goals: Tyrer 4/5
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Dennis Moran
Vikings: Matt Smith

Penalty count: 7-7
Half-time: 14-16
Referee: Ronnie Laughton
Attendance: 3,089

SCORING SEQUENCE:
6-0, 10-0, 10-6, 14-6, 14-12, 14-16, 14-22, 20-22, 20-24, 26-24, 27-24, 33-24.