Leigh Centurions 62 Locomotiv Moscow 0 by Mike Hulme

HOPELESSLY outclassed Locomotiv Moscow lost on the pitch but won many friends off it.

The Muscovite amateurs were like lambs to the slaughter as the Centurions strolled into round four of the TXU Energi Challenge Cup but they earned the respect of Leigh coach Paul Terzis and his players.

"Full credit to them, "said Terzis. "They never stopped coming at us from first minute to last.

"It's a pity several of them haven't got the benefit of playing regularly over here. If they did I'm sure they would make the grade at National League One or Two."

Terzis is equally adamant that the RFL's experiment of including Russian sides in the Challenge Cup is the way forward.

"It should be continued in future years because it can only help improve their game."

The Russians, despite the one-sided scoreline, agreed that they only way forward for them was even more international competition.

The gulf in class was massive and it was all virtually one-way traffic after Leigh had opened their account with an Alan Hadcroft try inside six minutes.

A procession of tries followed from Paul Rowley, Damian Munro (2), Dale Cardoza and Dave Alstead as Leigh built up a 38-0 half time lead.

Locomotiv could have been expected to have run out of steam but can take heart from the fact that they restricted Leigh to just four more tries.

For a time they forced Leigh to defend desperately and went close of couple of times but it was a mere blip for the Centurions who polished things off with further tries from Sean Richardson, Sonny Nickle, Dale Holdstock and Rowley again with Lee Sanderson finishing with eight goals.