LEIGH maintained their 100 per cent record at a canter with a superb second-half display that yielded eight tries and 46 unanswered points.

Martyn Ridyard missed last weekend’s victory at Barrow with injury but returned to plunder a hattrick while Mick Nanyn finished with an 18-point tally in the Co-Operative Championship clash.

It was expected to be a close game and when the Centurions opened the score after 15 minutes through Nanyn, there was no indication of the eventual rout.

Widnes responded when Simon Finnigan charged over and, although Ridyard stepped through for his first try, the Vikings responded quickly with two tries in three minutes by Anthony Thackeray and Paddy Flynn to establish a 16-8 half-time advantage.

Leigh were excellent in the second half at Barrow, but even that effort was surpasses by a hungry and skilful team.

From the first minute of the new half when Mick Govin and Nanyn broke for Tommy Goulden to finish, to the 77th minute when Sam Hopkins supported Chris Hill, there was only one team in it.

Widnes tried to attack but Thomas Coyle’s pass went straight to Ridyard for him to race over half the length of the pitch to score. Dual contract Tyrone McCarthy then landed a quick double before Ridyard and Nanyn stormed through for Dean McGilvray to touch down.

There was more to come from Leigh as Ridyard completed his hat-trick and, after Danny Craven was halted on the line for Widnes, the hosts went on the attack with Hill going in at the side of the posts and Hopkins romped through for the Centurions tenth score with Nanyn adding his seventh goal.

The teams must do it all again in the Northern Rail Cup quarter-final on Thursday, April 7.