Leigh Centurions 27, Rochdale Hornets 16

LEIGH'S unsung quartet grabbed star billing as the rejuvenated Hilton Park side toppled the Division Two leaders to keep alive their own promotion chances.

So often this season it's been the likes of Street, Pucill and Purtill that have been the headline makers. Yesterday it was Jukes, Jenkins, Donlan and Hill that helped send Hornets spinning to only their third defeat of the season.

Neil Jukes looked every inch the complete loose-forward while Aussie hooker Nick Jenkins justified his place ahead of Shaun Bannister with his best 80 minutes in Leigh colours.

And the new centre pairing of Stuart Donlan and David Hill were secure and unflappable in the face of a rousing Hornets fightback.

It all added up to give coach Keith Latham his most satisfying performance for months.

"Some of our play in the first quarter was breathtaking, right out of the top drawer," he said. "We hit Hornets early on and that proved decisive. We knew they would come back at us strongly but defensively we were quite sound. But we showed great character to withstand the storm and finish as strongly as we did."

Leigh couldn't have asked for a better start with three brilliantly crafted tries in the first half.

Chris Wilkinson's gamble to run the ball on the last tackle paid off handsomely when Donlan stepped a couple of defenders and slid in for the opening try inside six points. The first of two touchline goals from the back-to-form Dean Purtill made it 6-0.

Hornets barely had a sniff, despite Steve Gartland replying with a penalty, and two top-notch tries in five minutes put Leigh in dreamland.

John Gunning's disguised short pass had Matt Nixon rampaging clear, the Aussie second rower intelligently drawing the cover before sending Jason O'Loughlin haring for the posts and a 12-2 lead.

Leigh's progress was momentarily halted when Gartland followed up his own kick to touchdown but almost from the restart Andy Pucill launched an attack from inside his own half that sparked Leigh's best team for weeks. Purtill's arcing inside run split Hornets wide open and the supporting Gunning sent Jenkins bursting through for his first senior try.

Purtill's goal and a Wilkinson field goal had Leigh cruising at 19-6.

Even when Nathan Picchi touched down either side of half time to slash the lead to 19-16, Leigh still looking in control.

After Purtill had calmed the nerves with a 52nd minute penalty, sub Safraz Patel came up with the match clincher when his slide-rule kick to the corner gave Purtill the chance to pounce for his 19th try of the season.

Leigh: O'Loughlin; Purtill, Donlan, Hill, Sarsfield; Gunning (Patel 46), Wilkinson; Street, Jenkins, Pucill (Costello 26), Liku (McGughan 44), Nixon (Fairclough 57), Jukes. Attendance: 1321.

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