2008 Season Reports: Northern Rail Cup: LEIGH 20 WIDNES 10

LEIGH CENTURIONS 20 WIDNES VIKINGS 10
DAVE PARKINSON at Hilton Park

Leigh Centurions consolidated their spot at the top of Group Six following a tough encounter between the last two winners of the Northern Rail Cup.

“I was much happier with the performance” Leigh Football Manager Darren Shaw said, “we pushed the ball into the areas we’d trained for and wrestled back after giving a few early penalties away. It was our best team performance of the season so far.”

Widnes blooded new signing Lee Patterson at halfback and made a great start with a try after just five minutes on the back of an early 4-0 penalty advantage. Former Vikings centre Toa Kohe-Love was sent to the sinbin after three minutes following three early high tackles from the Centurions and Widnes pushed the ball wide for Patterson and Tim Hartley to send Dean Gaskell haring in by the corner flag.

The Centurions forced a goal-line drop out on the back of impressive field kicking by Ian Watson and Leigh eventually made it count after 11 minutes. Watson was the key again and his cross kick saw Dave Alstead fly between Jason Crookes and Gavin Dodd to touch down. Watson added the conversion and was at the hub of the next scoring play with his left boot causing pandemonium. Alstead contested with Dodd and the ball went loose for Lee Doran to collect the bounce and four points.

For a few minutes the game see-sawed in midfield before the kicking of Watson laid a platform, forcing the Vikings to come from deep in their twenty metre zone.

The Centurions finally led a successful raid after 32 minutes when Kohe-Love used footwork and brute strength to go over from 15 metres, beating three defenders in the process. Watson tagged on the extras and Leigh thought they’d put a fourth score against Widnes six minutes later. The scrum-half kicked down field, Nathan McAvoy toed forward and the ball eventually fell to Mike Wainwright who was put down. Leigh switched play for Watson to again hoist a kick to the right and Alstead thought that he’d claimed a second try only to see the attempt wiped from the board and a penalty head Widnes way some sixty metres up field.

The Vikings pushed forward with Iain Morrison, Jim Gannon and Crookes going close before the half ended.

Right from the kick-off to the second half, Widnes went on the attack and after an initial drive from Morrison, Beswick split the defence, Crookes supported and Danny Hill showed tremendous pace to add the finishing touch to a glorious move. Hartley converted and the Vikings were back within six points.

Nine minutes into the second half, the Centurions saw another try wiped out when McAvoy palmed a kick back and Adam Rudd lost possession in the act of scoring.

Both sides tried to break the deadlock with Aaron Smith prominent around the ruck for Leigh and Paul Noone and Dayne Donoghue getting through a ton of work, but with defences on top; it became a battle for field position with Watson and Ryan Powell countering the boot of Beswick, Mark Smith and Patterson.

Watson converted a 57th minute penalty after Noone gifted a penalty Leigh’s way but the Vikings continued to make a game of it.

Disaster struck for the Vikings in the 62nd minute when Smith raced forward to put pressure on a Watson clearance and succeeded in hitting the Leigh scrum-half after the kick. Referee Robert Hicks had no hesitation in producing the red card.

Of the send off Vikings boss Steve McCormack said, “Mark [Smith] has hit the man late and the referee gave a reactionary call.”

Thankfully, Watson was okay to continue and the groggy number seven rounded off the game scoring with his fourth goal three minutes later after the Vikings defence were found guilty of ball-stealing.

“We started the game well.” said McCormack, “but I was disappointed with our game at half-time and had to change a few things. We began the second half with that excellent try and Bob Beswick showed just what he’s capable of but we couldn’t push on. That said, I’m pleased of the team’s efforts and a special word for Jim Gannon, he played 34 minutes in the first half and a similar amount of time in the second.”

You get the feeling that these teams haven’t seen the last of each other in this competition.

GAMEBREAKER: Watson’s second penalty after 65 minutes. Whilst the Vikings were able to push into good positions they lacked killer instinct and ten points was too much to make up.

GAMESTAR: Ian Watson – a superb controlled performance from a scrum half on the top of his game. Field kicking, prompting and cajoling his troops to a second win over the Vikings.


CENTURIONS
1 Steve Maden
2 Nathan McAvoy
3 Adam Rudd
4 Toa Kohe-Love
5 Dave Alstead
6 Ryan Powell
7 Ian Watson
8 Andy Hobson
9 Aaron Smith
10 Mike Morrison
11 Mike Wainwright
12 Lee Doran
13 James Taylor
Subs (all used)
14 Mark Roberts
15 Anthony Stewart
16 Chris Hill
17 John Cookson

Tries: Alstead, Doran, Kohe-Love
Goals: Watson 4/5
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (3) – Toa Kohe-Love – High tackle
Dismissal: (TIME) – offence

VIKINGS
1 Ian Hardman
2 Dean Gaskell
3 Tim Hartley
4 Jason Crookes
5 Gavin Dodd
6 Lee Patterson
7 Steve Roper
8 Ben Kavanagh
9 Mark Smith
10 Jim Gannon
11 Danny Hill
12 Iain Morrison
13 Bob Beswick
Subs (all used)
14 Scott Yates
15 Tommy Gallagher
16 Dayne Donoghue
17 Paul Noone

Tries: Gaskell (5), Hill (41)
Goals: Hartley 1/2
On Report: (TIME) – offence
Sin bin: (TIME) – offence
Dismissal: (62) – Mark Smith – Late tackle on kicker

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Centurions: Ian Watson
Vikings: Jim Gannon

Penalty count: 10-13
Half-time: 16-4
Referee: Robert Hicks
Attendance: 3,615

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4; 6-4; 10-4; 16-4; 16-10; 18-10; 20-10.