Missed chances cost Leigh (From Leigh Journal)

Missed chances cost Leigh

3:36pm Thursday 24th November 2011 in Sport

Leigh 12 Liverpool St Helens 32

LEIGH will look back on Saturday’s North One West encounter with disappointment that early chances were not taken.

They started brighter than LSH but spilt the ball on two occasions when scoring chances opened up.

They were made to pay when LSH went ahead in the 21st minute with a trademark try from Dave Cunliffe, crashing through the Leigh defence from 10 metres out. Brother Matt converted.

LSH continued to pressurise and they scored again after 36 minutes when a strong forwards drive powered over the line for second rower Mark Williams to score, with Cunliffe converting.

The momentum was continued by lively scrum half Alex McClurg when he nipped through a tiny gap at the side of a ruck and sprinted over the line for a try on the stroke of half time. Cunliffe again converted to give LSH a 21-0 lead.

As in the first half, Leigh started strongly in the second period and reduced the arrears after 53 minutes with a well executed move from a line-out bringing a try for hooker Peter Ince.

LSH then reasserted themselves and strong pressure brought penalties in the 59th and 68th minutes, both successfully kicked by Cunliffe to make the game secure.

As the game edged towards the final whistle LSH went in search of a bonus point fourth try.

It came fortuitously following a line-out close to the Leigh line when replacement flanker James Burrows scooped up a loose ball and ran through unopposed to score.

Leigh had battled hard all afternoon and to their credit were not yet done.

In the final action of the afternoon centre Michael Eccles ran in a try converted by Tom Forshaw.

But perhaps it could have been a different story had Leigh taken their early chances.