Leigh Centurions 60 Swinton Lions 24 

By Dave Parkinson

Leigh Centurions continued their winning run in the Kingstone Press Championship with an 11-try success against derby rivals Swinton Lions.

Liam Kay claimed a hat-trick while there were also try doubles for Gregg McNally, Tom Armstrong and Kurt Haggerty.

Leigh broke through after six minutes with Tommy Goulden sending McNally through for the first of his two tries.

Martyn Ridyard took his Leigh career tally beyond 900 points and finished with eight goals in another influential performance.

Swinton’s response was swift. Former Centurion Mike Morrison started the ball rolling with a break before great rugby nous from Andy Ackers saw him kick on for Kevin Penny to collect and go between the posts for Ian Watson to goal.

Errors started to rack up on the Swinton side and Leigh took full advantage running in four unanswered tries in 19 minutes.

McNally sliced through from an attacking scrum and he was quickly followed to the line by Armstrong before Sam Hopkins blasted through after 27 minutes.

A further try went the way of Haggerty thanks to deft hands from Ridyard after 30 minutes.

Swinton responded when Ormsby snapped up a kick and charged to halfway before another measured kick was taken by a flying Penny for his second.

Watson converted but Leigh struck again before the break when McNally turned provider for Liam Kay to claim the first of his treble at the left corner. As the half-time hooter sounded, the Centurions led 34-12.

Early in the second half Armstrong had a try harshly disallowed and Swinton held out 11 minutes before a three pass play eventually brought Armstrong his second.

At the other end Ackers was adjudged to have bounced the ball over the line following a startling break from dummy half.

This spurred the Centurions on and within a minute Ridyard sent Ryan Brierley haring away.

The scrum-half was tracked back but an acrobatic offload saw Kay sail over. McNally looked set for his own hat-trick a couple of minutes later but unselfish play led to Cameron Pitman claiming his first senior try.

Leigh looked like they could launch an attack from anywhere on the field, and they did. Jake Emmitt expertly sent Kay streaming away. He rounded Richie Hawkyard and just had enough pace to outrun Penny to claim his third.

Swinton pulled a try back when Watson’s grubber came off McNally’s legs for Kash Watkins to slip the ball to Darren Hawkyard with Watson again converting before a fractious end brought about a scuffle with Zac Johnson being dismissed for the visitors and Adam Higson red-carded for Leigh.

There was still time for two more tries in the game. Ridyard did all the running for Haggerty’s second try and added his final goal while Richie Hawkyard waltzed through the middle of the Leigh defence in the last minute for Watson to goal.

Team: McNally, Higson, Pitman, Armstrong, Kay; Ridyard, Brierley; Acton, Penkywicz, Emmitt, Haggerty, Goulden, Barlow. Subs: Spencer, Wilkes, Hopkins, Beswick.