Leigh Centurions 50 Doncaster 20

LEIGH Centurions continue to go from strength to strength, with this latest victory equalling the club record run of 14 straight wins.

For 50 minutes, Sunday's game was a contest as a Paul Cooke inspired Doncaster made things difficult for Centurions but the game was won in the second half with Leigh outscoring their visitors by five tries to one.

Doncaster opened the game well, stretching the Leigh defence early on after Stewart Sanderson had intercepted a Tommy Goulden pass.

Liam Kay was then at his best with his quick reaction doing just enough to push Tom Hodson into touch.

Cooke also broke through the middle of the Leigh defence in the sixth minute but Lee Waterman was tackled and subsequently helped from the field.

Leigh set about their attack belatedly and scored with virtually their first possession deep in the Doncaster half.

Gregg McNally scampered down the blindside and cleverly laid off for Cameron Pitman to go in at the corner for Martyn Ridyard to kick the first of seven goals.

Next it was the turn of the outstanding Sam Hopkins as he burst through and offloaded for Ryan Brierley to stride clear and find the supporting Bob Beswick for a try between the posts.

The hosts could have been out of sight a moment later when Adam Higson broke down the right only for his inside pass to go to ground.

Doncaster rallied and claimed a try of theor own after 20 minutes through Liam Kent but Leigh were soon in the scoring groove again when great interplay between Kay and McNally brought the Cumbrian’s 10th try of the season.

Doncaster responded again near the break when Mike Kelly broke and eventually persistence brought a try from full back David Scott.

Leigh led 22-14 at half time and had to be at their best in the early stages of the new half.

Crucially though, it was Centurions who claimed the first try of the new period when Ryan Brierley pounced on a smart Hopkins offload having earlier seen Tom Armstrong get a score disallowed for double movement.

Hopkins was the key man for Centurions with a marauding 50m surge that saw him attempt to dummy and speed his way around the full back.

Although that chance was lost, Leigh quickly moved the ball left from the next play and Matthew Sarsfield touched down for Ridyard to add his fifth goal and make it 34-14.

Once again Doncaster threatened to make a game of it when Cooke touched down before the hour but Leigh claimed three late tries and lost the services of Jamie Acton and Sarsfield in a busy finish.

Centurions threw Lewis Foster into the mix while Beswick switched to the back row to good effect.

Brierley turned creator for the versatile Kurt Haggerty after 67 minutes and there was more menace from the Leigh right side when Pitman claimed a high kick from Ridyard and Tommy Goulden twisted over in support to finish from 20 metres.

A minute from the end Ridyard struck a long 40-20 and the resulting possession saw Armstrong wrap around to touch down on the right to secure the win and bring up 50 points for the fifth time in 14 games.

Leigh: McNally; Higson, Pitman, Armstrong, Kay; Ridyard, Brierley; Spencer, Beswick, Emmitt, Sarsfield, Goulden, Hopkins. Subs: Foster, Wilkes, Acton, Haggerty.

Referee: Tom Crashley.

Attendance: 2,132.