Honours even in top clash
LEIGH 20 SALFORD 20
By Dave Parkinson
Relegated Salford City Reds were given a stern test by the Centurions in the first of 6 possible encounters between the teams this season. For long spells Leigh controlled this game and were 18-4 up at one stage before the Reds, led by Leigh born centre Stuart Littler and classy hooker Dave Highton staged a dramatic revival to claim a share of the spoils before an encouraging crowd of 4,445 at the Coliseum. .
Things started well for the full-time visitors and they opened the score less than a minute in when Neil Baynes bulldozed over from a quick tap penalty. Gavin Clinch failed to add the extras and Leigh were soon on level terms when good play in midfield took the Centurions close and Sean Richardson added a great try. Unfortunately, John Duffy was also wide and missed a further penalty moments later.
Salford continued to work themselves into good field position but the Leigh defence held with Leroy Rivett returning the ball from deep in exciting fashion.
As the tide began to turn, Leigh forced a dropout and from this position Paul Rowley fed Adam Bristow who showed a great swerve to pass former Leigh favourite Simon Baldwin before crashing over from 10 metres. Duffy converted and having now found his shooting boots added a penalty after Chris Charles was sin-binned for holding down.
Again Salford came at the home side strongly but good defence kept them out until the break and the Centurions went into the sheds with a 12-4 advantage.
Leigh didn't make the greatest start to the second half but after applying pressure and coming up with possession, the Centurions showed good patience. Finally this told when Duffy spotted the smallest of gaps in the defence and sidestepped a despairing tackle from Jason Flowers to put his team 18-4 up.
Leigh then made things difficult for themselves. Dave Alstead knocked on from the re-start and this handed an opportunity straight back to the City Reds. After withstanding a forward barrage, the ball was moved wide through Radney Bowker and Clinch for Littler to claim his first.
A fine running line from Reds skipper Malcolm Alker opened the Leigh defence again moments later. Littler was in support and he put Alan Hunte in at the corner. 18-12 became 20-12 in the home teams favour when Hunte was penalised for an incorrect play-the-ball.
Again the restart brought misfortune with Michael Watts knocking on. A set move from the scrum split the Leigh defence and Flowers sent Littler striding through from twenty metres. This time Lee Marsh converted and then kept his nerve to slot the equalising penalty over with just 3 minutes remaining. It was certainly a point lost for the battling Centurions.
While the entire team went about their duty, there were four stand-out performers for the Centurions.
John Duffy gave a sparky display that saw him combine well with Pat Weisner and split the midfield a number of time. Once comfortable with the goal kicking role he added four goals and scored a smartly taken try.
Sean Richardson constantly had the Reds on the back foot with excellent running and defence while Paul Rowley and Adam Bristow burst back into form.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
2003 Season Reports: SWINTON 10 LEIGH 24
Leigh maintain 100% Arriva Trains Cup form
SWINTON 10 LEIGH CENTURIONS 24
By Dave Parkinson.
With two games gone of the Arriva Trains Cup, Leigh Centurions are unbeaten. The Centurions held off a spirited challenge from one of last season's whipping boys to win 24-10 at the Lions new Moor Lane home. The undoubted highlight of the game was an explosive hat-trick from Dale Cardoza who thrilled the Leigh support in a 950 crowd with a display of strong finishing.
The game was far from a classic but the way the Leigh team worked for the victory pleased boss Paul Terzis, "I'm happy with the result." He said.
"I thought we showed a lot of patience out there and our defence was outstanding. Wasn't it great to see Dale Cardoza cross the line? That's why we chased so hard to bring him to the club last season. A lot of credit has to go to Swinton, they came at us from the start and will certainly be challenging for the National League 2 title."
The hosts began the game positively and were unlucky when incisive play down the left was brought back for a forward pass just as Jason Roach thought he'd added another try to his career tally. Following the lead of former Leigh prop Simon Knox, the Lions tested Leigh and the visitors defence worked overtime to keep Swinton at bay.
Damian Munro then thought he'd opened the scoring for Leigh but again the move was denied by the intervention of a touchjudge.
Finally the Centurions did hit the front, and what a try it was too! On the last tackle zipped the ball from one side of the field to the other in a fourteen pass movement that finished with Munro dashing over in the corner. Marksman John Duffy couldn't find his sights and back came Swinton when Craig Wingfield was awarded a penalty try after having the ball ripped from his grasp over the line. Smith converted and the Lions held a slender advantage.
Moments from the break Leigh showed their class again when a long ball from substitute Dave Bradbury found Phil Kendrick and in turn the long serving centre or second row found Cardoza running the angle for his first score. Duffy added the difficult conversion and Leigh went in at half-time with a 10-6 advantage.
The second-half began badly for Leigh when Michael Watts blemished an otherwise fine game with a knock on at the play-the-ball. Further Leigh mistakes continued to hand good field position to the hosts and eventually it told when a low kick was stabbed through. In the lottery that followed Hugh Thorpe collected and dived in to level the scores.
Finally the Centurions settled down and added a trademark try from Cardoza after good work from Pat Weisner and Duffy. Again the kick fell short but Duffy was on target with a penalty following a smart bit of footwork from his half-back partner.
As Swinton began to tire, Leigh's class told and Cardoza completed his hat-trick in support of a fine run by former Lion Dale Holdstock, and just before the end Holdstock was again pressed into action. His inside ball found Paul Rowley and Cardoza but the centre flicked the ball wide for debutant Leroy Rivett to cap a solid first game with a try.
MOM - Michael Watts - tireless runner from full-back.
LEIGH: Watts, Andrews, Munro, Cardoza, Rivett, Weisner, Duffy, Nickle, Rowley, Ball, Richardson, Holdstock, Bristow; Kendrick, Sanderson, Hamilton, Bradbury.
Tries: Cardoza (3), Munro (1), Rivett (1)
Goals: Duffy 2/4, Sanderson 0/2.
SWINTON
Tries: Craig Wingfield, Hugh Thorpe.
Goals: Smith 1/2.
SWINTON 10 LEIGH CENTURIONS 24
By Dave Parkinson.
With two games gone of the Arriva Trains Cup, Leigh Centurions are unbeaten. The Centurions held off a spirited challenge from one of last season's whipping boys to win 24-10 at the Lions new Moor Lane home. The undoubted highlight of the game was an explosive hat-trick from Dale Cardoza who thrilled the Leigh support in a 950 crowd with a display of strong finishing.
The game was far from a classic but the way the Leigh team worked for the victory pleased boss Paul Terzis, "I'm happy with the result." He said.
"I thought we showed a lot of patience out there and our defence was outstanding. Wasn't it great to see Dale Cardoza cross the line? That's why we chased so hard to bring him to the club last season. A lot of credit has to go to Swinton, they came at us from the start and will certainly be challenging for the National League 2 title."
The hosts began the game positively and were unlucky when incisive play down the left was brought back for a forward pass just as Jason Roach thought he'd added another try to his career tally. Following the lead of former Leigh prop Simon Knox, the Lions tested Leigh and the visitors defence worked overtime to keep Swinton at bay.
Damian Munro then thought he'd opened the scoring for Leigh but again the move was denied by the intervention of a touchjudge.
Finally the Centurions did hit the front, and what a try it was too! On the last tackle zipped the ball from one side of the field to the other in a fourteen pass movement that finished with Munro dashing over in the corner. Marksman John Duffy couldn't find his sights and back came Swinton when Craig Wingfield was awarded a penalty try after having the ball ripped from his grasp over the line. Smith converted and the Lions held a slender advantage.
Moments from the break Leigh showed their class again when a long ball from substitute Dave Bradbury found Phil Kendrick and in turn the long serving centre or second row found Cardoza running the angle for his first score. Duffy added the difficult conversion and Leigh went in at half-time with a 10-6 advantage.
The second-half began badly for Leigh when Michael Watts blemished an otherwise fine game with a knock on at the play-the-ball. Further Leigh mistakes continued to hand good field position to the hosts and eventually it told when a low kick was stabbed through. In the lottery that followed Hugh Thorpe collected and dived in to level the scores.
Finally the Centurions settled down and added a trademark try from Cardoza after good work from Pat Weisner and Duffy. Again the kick fell short but Duffy was on target with a penalty following a smart bit of footwork from his half-back partner.
As Swinton began to tire, Leigh's class told and Cardoza completed his hat-trick in support of a fine run by former Lion Dale Holdstock, and just before the end Holdstock was again pressed into action. His inside ball found Paul Rowley and Cardoza but the centre flicked the ball wide for debutant Leroy Rivett to cap a solid first game with a try.
MOM - Michael Watts - tireless runner from full-back.
LEIGH: Watts, Andrews, Munro, Cardoza, Rivett, Weisner, Duffy, Nickle, Rowley, Ball, Richardson, Holdstock, Bristow; Kendrick, Sanderson, Hamilton, Bradbury.
Tries: Cardoza (3), Munro (1), Rivett (1)
Goals: Duffy 2/4, Sanderson 0/2.
SWINTON
Tries: Craig Wingfield, Hugh Thorpe.
Goals: Smith 1/2.
2002 Season Reports: Play-offs: HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 36 LEIGH CENTURIONS 10
Giants reach Grand Final - 22/9/02
Huddersfield Giants 36 Leigh Centurions 10
By Dave Parkinson
For 25 minutes the Qualifying Semi-Final was everything you would expect from a big game, nerves were aplenty and the tackling fierce from both teams, then disaster struck for Leigh when halfback pair John Duffy and Bobbie Goulding were helped from the field within three minutes of each other.
Missing their two playmakers the Centurions struggled on as Huddersfield turned up the heat with ball in hand.
The opening 16 minutes the game had been scoreless before the first real chance fell the way of the Giants. A crossfield kick was spilled by Oli Marns and Stanley Gene scooped up the loose ball to race over from 15 metres Steve McNamara kicked the first of five goals and Huddersfield were on their way.
Leigh replied strongly but Duffy was injured chasing a low kick through that had the home defence in all sorts of trouble. From the resulting possesion Simon Baldwin looked set to score but the ball was lost at the crucial moment.
Goulding was then involved in an incident with Rob Roberts and went down like a shot. Leigh got the penalty but lost the influence of their former international for the game. With no recognised halfback on the bench, Leigh were forced to reshuffle. Willie Swann, who started the game at loose forward, moved to halfback with John Hamilton slotting in alongside him.
The Centurions were still trying to overcome that blow when Giants skipper Steve McNamara burst a tackle to race over for a 20 metre solo score. Two minutes later Leigh again got over the line only for Swann to be adjudged held up.
Leigh put everything into their opening 35 minutes but were guilty of looking to the break when Huddersfield scored a third try. Gene was the creator, stabbing a low kick in behind Leon Felton for former Leeds fullback Marcus St Hilaire to touchdown. MacNamara converted brilliantly from the touchline to hand the Giants a handy 16-0 lead.
The new half was less than a minute old when Chris Thorman slipped under Neil Turley to score and he repeated the dose moments later when good work again from MacNamara caught the defence out. With the loose forward kicking both goals Leigh trailed 28-0 and were looking down the barrel of a huge defeat.
That was something Paul Terzis battlers didn't deserve and instead of raising the white flag they attacked Huddersfield with renewed enthusiasm. Following a heavy first half penalty count in the Giant's favour referee Ian Smith began awarding a token penalty to the Centurions. From one such penalty, Dale Cardoza took a quick tap, carved himself an opening and raced 50-metres. Upon reaching the line, Cardoza's progress was checked but the one-time Huddersfield centre looked to have placed the ball for Leigh's opening try. Bizarrely Mr Smith ruled no try and the Centurions battered away at the Giants line without reward.
From their next possession Gene linked brilliantly with St Hillaire only for a brilliant stop by Neil Turley to put his opposite number over the sideline. It was one of a number of crucial tackles by Turley who tried valliantly to keep his line intact.
On 51 minutes Huddersfield looked to be building anoher attack when a pass was intercepted by the Centurions Jon Roper. Unfortunately he was chased down over 50 metres but a quick play the ball saw Willie Swann plunge over. Turley added a quick conversion but any hopes of a comeback were quashed on the hour mark when Leigh were penalised inside their own quarter and McNamara made the score 30-6.
Leigh put the restart out on the full and Huddersfield took up attack once more only to have a 6th try denied when Turley got underneath the ball as Darren Turner drove for the line.
The Centurions grabbed their second try of the game through Cardoza moments later, after good running from John Hamilton and a great pass from Paul Rowley. Turley couldn't convert but something seemed to click with the Centurions as their attack began to ask questions of the Huddersfield defence once again.
Good three-quarter play sent Marns racing away and as he chipped over the oncoming defence he was impeded by Huddersfield winger Heffin O'Hare, in full view of the referee. O'Hare was sent to the sin-bin yet it was the giants who increased their lead seven minutes from time when Andy Rice touched down from a rather suspicious pass. Thorman converted from the touchline to complete the scoring, although Paul Anderson had another Leigh try ruled out after Turley kicked over from a scrum.
Man-of-the-Match: Paul Rowley, John Hamilton and Rob Ball were all outstanding in defeat and share my choice as Man-of-the-Match.
Leigh: Turley, Marns, Roper, Cardoza, Felton, Duffy, Goulding, Bradbury, Rowley, Whittle, Isherwood, Baldwin, Swann.
Substitutes: Ball, Hamilton, Anderson, Knox.
Tries: Swann, Cardoza.
Goals: Turley 1.
Huddersfield: St Hillaire, O'Hare, Crabtree, Cooper, Hallas, Gene, Thorman, Slicker, March, Wittenburg, Atkins, Roberts, McNamara. Substitutes: Cruckshank, Molyneux, Turner, Rice.
Tries: Gene, McNamara, St Hillaire, Thorman 2, Rice.
Goals: McNamara 5, Thorman 1.
Half-time: 16-0 to Huddersfield.
Huddersfield Giants 36 Leigh Centurions 10
By Dave Parkinson
For 25 minutes the Qualifying Semi-Final was everything you would expect from a big game, nerves were aplenty and the tackling fierce from both teams, then disaster struck for Leigh when halfback pair John Duffy and Bobbie Goulding were helped from the field within three minutes of each other.
Missing their two playmakers the Centurions struggled on as Huddersfield turned up the heat with ball in hand.
The opening 16 minutes the game had been scoreless before the first real chance fell the way of the Giants. A crossfield kick was spilled by Oli Marns and Stanley Gene scooped up the loose ball to race over from 15 metres Steve McNamara kicked the first of five goals and Huddersfield were on their way.
Leigh replied strongly but Duffy was injured chasing a low kick through that had the home defence in all sorts of trouble. From the resulting possesion Simon Baldwin looked set to score but the ball was lost at the crucial moment.
Goulding was then involved in an incident with Rob Roberts and went down like a shot. Leigh got the penalty but lost the influence of their former international for the game. With no recognised halfback on the bench, Leigh were forced to reshuffle. Willie Swann, who started the game at loose forward, moved to halfback with John Hamilton slotting in alongside him.
The Centurions were still trying to overcome that blow when Giants skipper Steve McNamara burst a tackle to race over for a 20 metre solo score. Two minutes later Leigh again got over the line only for Swann to be adjudged held up.
Leigh put everything into their opening 35 minutes but were guilty of looking to the break when Huddersfield scored a third try. Gene was the creator, stabbing a low kick in behind Leon Felton for former Leeds fullback Marcus St Hilaire to touchdown. MacNamara converted brilliantly from the touchline to hand the Giants a handy 16-0 lead.
The new half was less than a minute old when Chris Thorman slipped under Neil Turley to score and he repeated the dose moments later when good work again from MacNamara caught the defence out. With the loose forward kicking both goals Leigh trailed 28-0 and were looking down the barrel of a huge defeat.
That was something Paul Terzis battlers didn't deserve and instead of raising the white flag they attacked Huddersfield with renewed enthusiasm. Following a heavy first half penalty count in the Giant's favour referee Ian Smith began awarding a token penalty to the Centurions. From one such penalty, Dale Cardoza took a quick tap, carved himself an opening and raced 50-metres. Upon reaching the line, Cardoza's progress was checked but the one-time Huddersfield centre looked to have placed the ball for Leigh's opening try. Bizarrely Mr Smith ruled no try and the Centurions battered away at the Giants line without reward.
From their next possession Gene linked brilliantly with St Hillaire only for a brilliant stop by Neil Turley to put his opposite number over the sideline. It was one of a number of crucial tackles by Turley who tried valliantly to keep his line intact.
On 51 minutes Huddersfield looked to be building anoher attack when a pass was intercepted by the Centurions Jon Roper. Unfortunately he was chased down over 50 metres but a quick play the ball saw Willie Swann plunge over. Turley added a quick conversion but any hopes of a comeback were quashed on the hour mark when Leigh were penalised inside their own quarter and McNamara made the score 30-6.
Leigh put the restart out on the full and Huddersfield took up attack once more only to have a 6th try denied when Turley got underneath the ball as Darren Turner drove for the line.
The Centurions grabbed their second try of the game through Cardoza moments later, after good running from John Hamilton and a great pass from Paul Rowley. Turley couldn't convert but something seemed to click with the Centurions as their attack began to ask questions of the Huddersfield defence once again.
Good three-quarter play sent Marns racing away and as he chipped over the oncoming defence he was impeded by Huddersfield winger Heffin O'Hare, in full view of the referee. O'Hare was sent to the sin-bin yet it was the giants who increased their lead seven minutes from time when Andy Rice touched down from a rather suspicious pass. Thorman converted from the touchline to complete the scoring, although Paul Anderson had another Leigh try ruled out after Turley kicked over from a scrum.
Man-of-the-Match: Paul Rowley, John Hamilton and Rob Ball were all outstanding in defeat and share my choice as Man-of-the-Match.
Leigh: Turley, Marns, Roper, Cardoza, Felton, Duffy, Goulding, Bradbury, Rowley, Whittle, Isherwood, Baldwin, Swann.
Substitutes: Ball, Hamilton, Anderson, Knox.
Tries: Swann, Cardoza.
Goals: Turley 1.
Huddersfield: St Hillaire, O'Hare, Crabtree, Cooper, Hallas, Gene, Thorman, Slicker, March, Wittenburg, Atkins, Roberts, McNamara. Substitutes: Cruckshank, Molyneux, Turner, Rice.
Tries: Gene, McNamara, St Hillaire, Thorman 2, Rice.
Goals: McNamara 5, Thorman 1.
Half-time: 16-0 to Huddersfield.
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