Season Reports 2008: CELTIC CRUSADERS 38 LEIGH CENTURIONS 28

CELTIC CRUSADERS 38

LEIGH CENTURIONS 28
By Dave Parkinson.

In a proverbial game of two halves, Leigh succumbed to their full time counterparts in South Wales, but the bonus point gained at Bridgend means they still occupy one of the remaining play-off positions.

The Crusaders were first on the scoreboard after just six minutes when Dalle Cort got past Toa Kohe-Love to go in at the corner. Mark Lennon missed with the conversion attempt and Leigh then roared back after 12 minutes when Dennis Moran put in a perfectly judged kick and Steve Maden raced onto it to score. Although Ian Mort missed the conversion attempt, he found the mark moments later.

Ian Watson and Moran created the next try. Watson grubber kicked forward for Aled James to collect before the wingman collided with Moran and the ball went free for Lee Doran to pounce. The game then stopped for several minutes while the dazed James received attention and after the successful kick, the incident went on report.

The Moran-Maden kick combination worked wonders again after 19 minutes when Maden grounded for his 8th try of the season and when Mort goaled, Leigh were well in command. A high tackle from former State-of-Origin centre Josh Hannay heaped further pressure on the home side but Aaron Smith was put in touch a metre short of the line.

Watson then put a high tackle on Darren Mapp and Celtic roared upfield with Mapp brushing off any after-effects and three tackles in a fifteen metre burst to the try-line.

Damien Quinn tried to catch the Leigh defence unawares with a towering bomb but Mort collected just inside the field of play and bravely ran twenty metres. The Centurions then enjoyed a golden spell of dominance as they forced three drop outs and won a penalty on the Crusaders line.

Eventually this extra work told on the hosts and Lee Doran piled through to score at the side of the posts. After completing 85% of their sets, a lapse allowed Celtic possession and when Quinn turned the ball inside for Tony Duggan to speed to the line, the Crusaders trailed by just six points at half-time.

The second half began well for the Centurions as Dave Alstead raced up in defence to force Hannay into throwing a poor pass for his winger. Watson looked to continue his kicking game but Lennon scooped up possession close to the Crusaders line. A mistake in that set gifted possession back to Leigh and they were desperately unlucky when a possible Doran hat-trick try was ruled a knock-on by referee Jamie Leahy.

Celtic returned to the other end of the field and Duggan slipped free of Alstead’s tackle to go over the line. The hosts then took the lead for the first time when Hannay’s quick hands brought a try for former Leigh flyer Paul Ballard.

Things got more difficult for the Centurions when former Crusader Gareth Price was sinbinned for a high tackle on 53 minutes. As Leigh tried to slow Celtic down they incurred the wrath of the referee and one particular tackle from Smith saw Lennon add a further two points to the score.

Leigh were still down to 12 men at the time of the 6th Crusaders try when Quinn caught Alstead all at sea from a bomb. Jordan James picked up the bouncing ball to score with Lennon’s conversion putting 12 points between the teams.

Mapp and Duggan split the Leigh defence again a couple of minutes later but the pass was spilled and Leigh countered with Mort being held up in the corner. Knock-ons from Kohe-Love and Smith put pressure on the visitors defence. The Crusaders finally took advantage when quick feet from Lennon took him past the outstretched arms of Kohe-Love. That try may have sparked a collapse earlier in the season but Kelly’s Centurions are a resilient bunch and they struck back with an inspired play down the left. Maden and Mark Roberts created the opportunity for Alstead to power down the wing and shrug off the attentions of two tacklers on-route to a 40 metre try. Mort tagged on the extras and although the Crusaders forced a couple of late drop outs against the Leigh defence, the line held firm to guarantee a losing bonus point.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Lee Doran had a monster game. He was unlucky not to have a hat-trick to his name while his monstrous charges and offloads pushed Leigh forward. In defence too, every tackle seemed to jar an opponent. He was given good support by the non-stop James Taylor and Mike Morrison while Dave McConnell also ran intelligently when afforded a quick play-the-ball by the Celtic defence.

MAGIC MOMENT:

The play involving McConnell, Moran and Maden in the 19th minute was slick but for the second week running the final try was rugby poetry as Maden and Roberts created the chance for Alstead to get away, via two big hand-offs, for his 15th try of the season.

MOAN OF THE MATCH:

There was a period of about ten minutes in the final forty when Leigh were constantly defending and a second half possession count of 25 sets to 18 tells a story, as does the 7-2 penalty count against Leigh in that second period, although a couple of the penalties were laughable from Mr Leahy.
LEIGH:
Mort, Alstead, Roberts, Kohe-Love, Maden; Moran, Watson; Morrison, McConnell, Doran, Higson, Taylor, Smith.
Subs: Thomas, Rudd, Hill, Price.

Tries: Maden 2 (12, 19), Doran 2 (16, 34), Alstead (71).
Goals: Mort 4/5

CELTIC:
Duggan, Ballard, Hannay, Dalle Cort, A. James; Quinn, Lennon; J. James, Budworth, Dean, Beasley, Mapp, Martin.
Subs: Webster, Flower, Tangata-Toa, Davies.

Tries: Dalle Cort (7), Mapp (25), Duggan 2 (38, 46), Ballard (50), Jordan James (57), Lennon (67).
Goals: Lennon 5/8.

Referee: Jamie Leahy
Penalty Count : 9-13 to Celtic
Attendance: 1,359.