2007 Season Reports: LEIGH CENTURIONS 26 BATLEY BULLDOGS 22

LEIGH CENTURIONS 26 BATLEY BULLDOGS 22
Dave Parkinson at Hilton Park

The Bulldogs last visit to Hilton Park resulted in a shock defeat of Leigh in the play-offs. Fast forward the clock ten months, and for 25 minutes it looked like the Centurions were going to avenge that with a stylish win, leading 16-0 following three early tries.

Leigh started strongly and scored the first try after nine minutes when John Clough’s cut-out pass from dummy half created space and on-loan Danny Halliwell plunged through for his 7th Centurion try of the season.

He was soon followed over the line by Sebastian Martins who showed near superhuman strength to blast through three defenders for Halliwell to convert. Leigh continued to flood forward with returning second rower Tommy Grundy breaking almost 40 metres before bringing the best from the Batley rearguard. The Centurions then added a third try after 23 minutes when a towering Aaron Heremaia bomb was spilled by Ollie Marns under pressure and Halliwell flicked the ball out for Grundy to score Leigh 100th try of the season.

“That first twenty-five minutes we weren’t firing really were we?” conceded Batley coach Gary Thornton. “We played a lot of one up football which is not what we are trained to do and not what we expect of them. We knew Leigh would come out firing – losing two on the bounce they were always going to start big and I think we struggled to get into the game a bit. I think that once we did in the first half - after about 28 minutes, we got back into the game and started believing in ourselves. I think from then on the performance was pretty good. In the end I was disappointed to lose.”

Batley’s revival coincided with the arrival of Mark Toohey and the skilful forward quickly inspired a break from debutant Darryl Cardiss. Although he was unable to finish, it was Toohey that combined with Tom Hemingway and Jamie Stokes to send Chris Langley over out wide.

Another raid five minutes later brought the Bulldogs good field position and a set move saw Cardiss link with Stokes and the former Featherstone man raced under the posts from 15 metres.

Leigh held out until half-time and hit their visitors in the opening minutes of the new half when Rivett spun into an opening only for a brilliant tackle to be affected and force the winger into the goal-post and a handling error.

Batley tied things up after 52 minutes when Kris Lythe somehow bounced out of Dana Wilson’s big hit to ground his 12th try of the season for Hemingway to convert, but back came Leigh when Martins battered his way through another three tacklers for a second try and Halliwell struck his third goal.

Leigh fans must have been sensing de ja vous after 64 minutes when a thoughtful grubber kick from Martin McLoughlin had David Alstead in all kinds of trouble and Langley nipped through for his second try.

Hemingway levelling matters with the conversion and this looked like a game that could be decided by an odd point. Heremaia missed with two drop-goal attempts after 69 and 72 minutes while the Bulldogs pushed forward on the back of the kicking games of Richard Colley and Hemingway.

Then came the defining moment. Sam Butterworth chipped into space on the last tackle and Marns spilled possession. Leigh then moved play wide and Butterworth stepped before offloading for Chris Hill to sail clear for an unconverted try that edged a close win to the Centurions.

“It was good in patches.” said Leigh Football Manager Darren Shaw. “I thought we got off to a really good start and dominated the edge that we wanted to get at and scored some really good points off the back of that, but we made it very difficult for ourselves again. We went away from what we had started. It got back to 16-16 and then 22-22 and then that late score. There was a couple of good individual performances from Sebastian to get over the line – he showed some great strength. Mailangi Styles was another – he plays it tough every week.”

GAMEBREAKER: Hill’s 75th minute try just put Leigh infront and you sensed it was going to be their day.

GAMESTAR: Industrious to the last – Mailangi Styles had a big game but was pushed all the way for the award by the Bulldogs excellent Mark Toohey and the evasive Leroy Rivett.

GAMESTATS:
LEIGH:
1 Miles Greenwood
2 Leroy Rivett
3 Adam Rudd
4 Danny Halliwell
5 David Alstead
6 Chad Isles
7 Aaron Heremaia
8 Dana Wilson
9 John Clough
10 Sebastian Martins
11 Tommy Grundy
12 Mailangi Styles
13 Anthony Stewart
SUBS (All Used)
14 Sam Butterworth
15 Gareth Pemberton
16 Chris Hill
17 John Cookson

Tries: Halliwell (9), Martins (17, 59), Grundy (23), Hill (75).
Goals: Heremaia 0/1, Halliwell 3/4.

BATLEY
1 Jamie Stokes
2 Ash Lindsay
3 Darryl Cardiss
4 Chris Langley
5 Ollie Marns
6 Richard Colley
7 Tom Hemingway
8 David Rourke
9 Kris Lythe
10 Martin McLoughlin
11 Anthony Henderson
12 Craig Farrell
13 John Gallagher
SUBS (All Used)
14 Luke Stenchion
15 Mark Toohey
16 Luke Menzies
17 Jon Simpson

Tries: Langley (27, 64), Stokes (32), Lythe (52).
Goals: Hemingway 3/4.

Referee: Mr M. Dawber (Wigan)
Penalties: 8-7
Attendance: 1,469

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match:
Leigh: Mailangi Styles
Batley: Mark Toohey