After last week’s magnificent win, away at Kersal, Leigh hopes were high that the momentum would be maintained at home to third-placed Wilmslow but unfortunately, after another unstinting effort, victory was denied the Hand Laners.

Leigh went down 24-17.

 Early pressure boded well and it looked like Leigh were going to dominate this encounter but it was Wilmslow, with their first real possession of the game, who scored first, after ten minutes, when they worked their way up the pitch to engineer an overlap, to score an unconverted try wide out on the left.

This was soon followed by an almost replica try, several minutes later, which again went unconverted.

The killer blow was yet to come and when it did, the hearts of all the Leigh players and supporters missed a beat. 

Leigh had a promising attack developing down the left flank but the crucial pass was brilliantly intercepted by Wilmslow for them to race away for a converted try from 70 metres out.

Leigh clawed back three penalties, by Elliott Ryan, in the last ten minutes before half time to get them within eight points of Wilmslow but you could just feel the tension and frustration that the crucial interception try had created.

The second half saw Wilmslow add to their lead, after 50 minutes, when their full back fielded a loose, Leigh, clearance kick to step his way through the heart of the Leigh defence to cross near the posts for another converted try.

Leigh raised their game after this and were duly rewarded after 60 minutes, when great handling by the back line got the ball away, on the far left, to Ollie Shepherd, who was pulled down on the Wilmslow line but managed to brilliantly offload, to the ever supporting, Jimmy Wilkinson, for him to get over for an unconverted try.

Elliott Ryan narrowed the gap to seven points, after 64 minutes, when he slotted a magnificent penalty against the gale force wind to put Leigh within a converted try of the visitors but no matter what Leigh threw at Wilmslow in the remaining 16 minutes, Wilmslow repelled and held on for victory.

This was a game which Leigh could have won and they will be kicking themselves that they didn’t.

Leigh entertain fellow strugglers Carlisle, who are currently third from bottom, in what must be now, one of the most important fixtures of the season.  To avoid relegation, they have got to start picking up some wins against the lower teams.