Leigh Centurions 32, Dewsbury Rams 18

IT'S not every day that a team knocks over the Grand Final winners - and then get's a roasting!

But that was the case for the NFP runaway leaders Leigh yesterday who suffered an attack of the horrors after building up a match-winning 22-0 lead.

Centurions coach Paul Terzis didn't mince his words as he saw his side concede four second half tries.

"Defensively we were atrocious in the second half," fumed Terzis. "I wasn't happy with it and I've made my feelings known in the dressing room. We can do much better than that and I know that we'll improve."

But while Terzis was critical of his team's second half showing, he was delighted by the way Leigh had totally dominated the first half against the team that pipped them in last season's Grand Final.

"The first half was just what we'd planned for. We applied pressure on them constantly and they couldn't cope. I was pleased with that aspect of our game."

Leigh are now nine points clear of Keighley at the top of the table, 10 ahead of Dewsbury and 11 of fourth placed Widnes.

There was never any doubt that Leigh would increase their advantage after a dominant first half in which they scored three tries.

Bursting

The first came after 13 minutes when Willie Swann's neat pass sent Phil Kendrick bursting over. Simon Svabic landed the conversion and quickly added two penalties to give his side a 10-0 cushion.

The lead was extended on the half hour when Swann's reverse pass sent prop Dave Whittle in at the side of the posts and soon afterwards Neil Turley raced clear for his 33rd of the season to equal Paul Charlton's all-time record number of tries in a season for a full-back. Svabic converted both tries for a 22-0 lead.

Both teams were transformed in the second half. Dewsbury picked up the tempo while Leigh became increasingly sloppy.

Dewsbury got their first points on the board with a Dan Potter try before Leigh replied through Chris Morley. But Dewsbury continued to press and they came up with two quick tries from Andrew Spink and Adrian Flynn.

Leigh's nerves were settled when Dave Ingram touched down after Simon Baldwin had chipped to the corner and Svabic landed his 100th goal of the season.

Dewsbury had the final word when Richard Pachniuk kicked ahead and winger Richard Baker pounced for a try goaled by Barry Eaton. Leigh: Turley, Ingram, Anderson, Kendrick, Watts, Svabic, Swann, Leathem, Hamilton, Bradbury, Baldwin, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Street, Whittle, Bretherton, Duffy.