Centurions roar in to the top four with classy display

9:24pm Sunday 29th June 2008

Leigh Centurions 42 Sheffield Eagles 22

NEIL Kelly saw his team move into the top four of National League One for the first time this season with a resounding home victory.

The recently-appointed Leigh coach was delighted with his team's second back-to-back league victory of the season which gave him a fourth victory from his first five games in charge.

"I thought we were excellent in spells," Kelly reflected. "We were strong all across the park and, but for some strange refereeing decisions, we'd have won the game far more comfortably than we did."

Leigh crossed for eight tries against a team previously in fourth place in the table, finishing strongly to deny the Eagles a bonus point.

Leigh were ahead as early as the 12th minute when lively hooker Dave McConnell sneaked over at the side of the posts to leave Ian Watson an easy conversion.

But the Eagles showed why they've been one of the surprise packages in the division this season by roaring back to take a 10-6 lead.

Winger Rob Worrincy made all the running for a James Ford try and a conversion and two penalties from Jonny Woodcock put the Eagles ahead.

Leigh managed to turn things round and, by the break, they had crept into a 16-10 lead.

McConnell turned provider by sending sub prop John Cookson under the posts before stand-off Lee Marsh fired out a long pass for winger Dave Alstead to scamper in.

Leigh increased their lead at the start of the second half when a brilliant flicked pass from Toa Kohe-Love got his winger Steve Maden over in the corner.

The Eagles put the game back in the balance when a Grant Edwards try and Woodcock conversion cut Leigh's lead to 20-16.

Two tries in three minutes from Alstead and young full-back Ian Mort, plus a Watson conversion, had Leigh in the driving seat again at 30-16 with 15 minutes left.

When Woodcock nipped in for a try he converted himself, Sheffield were back in the picture and only trailed by eight points with six minutes left.

But Leigh held their nerve and produced a strong finish which brought converted tries from Adam Higson and Lee Doran.

Angela Kelly: The column you love to read