LEIGH Centurions negated a potential banana-skin in Cumbria to claim a comfortable 50-12 win in the Kingstone Press Championship.

It was not until the 17th minute when the deadlock was broken as Gareth Hock offloaded to Tom Spencer and his pass helped Ryan Brierley to scoot to the line.

Martyn Ridyard kicked the first of a seven goal haul and Leigh went on the charge.

Then, Spencer raced clear home on the 20 minute mark before some Ridyard opportunism saw him touch down for his 70th try for the club.

A brilliant conversion made it 18-0 after 27 minutes before two more passes from the in-form Ridyard brought tries for Pownall and a brilliant one handed diving effort on the right from Adam Higson.

Workington rarely mounted pressure on the Leigh line in the first half and trailed 28-0 as the hooter sounded.

However, Jarrod Sammut tried to create a chance for the hosts and his stabbed kick through bounced up into the waiting path of Brierley who doubled his tally with a finish from 80m.

Leading 32-0 at half-time, Leigh wanted a good start to the second half, however Workington struck when Sammut lofted a crossfield kick and Jarrad Stack outjumped Greg Worthington to claim a try goaled by Sammut.

Normal service was resumed after 53 minutes when Sam Hopkins stormed through the middle and put Kurt Haggerty over the line.

With Micky Higham following on from the work done by Bob Beswick, Leigh continued to play with pace and purpose and Haggerty was unluckily denied a line break by a questionable call on the pass.

To their credit, Workington kept plugging away and after forcing three back-to-back sets of possession Wigan dual contract pair Iain Thornley and Lewis Tierney combined for Tierney to ground in the corner.

Former Leigh player Carl Forber converted.

The Centurions interchanged their forwards and gained fresh impetus.

Beswick combined with Higham from close range for the veteran to add his second try since his transfer from Warrington and into the last 10minutes he turned creator for Jake Emmit to go under the posts.

Ridyard added his final goal to complete an eighteen point haul and bring the half century up for the seventh time this season.

Leigh: McNally, Higson, Worthington, Armstrong, Pownall; Ridyard, Brierley; Emmitt, Beswick, Hock, Sarsfield, Haggerty, Spencer. Subs: Higham, Hopkins, Goulden (not used), Wilkes.

Referee: Jamie Bloem

Attendance: 914.