Centurions are much better against Featherstone

2:58pm Thursday 18th February 2010

By David Parkinson

LEIGH Centurions put their York nightmare behind them to claim a morale-boosting win over Featherstone Rovers on Sunday.

Compared to the 13-12 loss seven days earlier, it was much improved and ultimately comprehensive against a side who made the semi-final stage of the Northern Rail Cup last term.

Leigh lost three times to Rovers in 2009 but the 2010 Centurions ran in six tries, including two from Mick Nanyn, in a game bossed from start to finish by Robbie Paul and Tim Hartley, who gave an assured performance at stand off.

Other impressive facets included good shows from a hungry back row that contained MacGraff Leuluai, debutant Lee Mitchell and ever willing workhorse James Taylor, while Centurions were also held up over the line a further five times.

Spritely work around dummy half by John Duffy saw Chris Hill - a surprise returnee to the team selection after injury - take a flat pass to open the score in the fourth minute.

Hartley converted before Leigh doubled their advantage when Rovers were hurried off the ball and from the possession Hartley found MacGraff Leulua to crash through the defence and ground the ball.

Rovers then grabbed their only score when Kain and Kyle Briggs linked, Michael Coady then handed on to Tom Saxton and his inside pass was knocked down by Mitchell. Somehow the bouncing ball ended with Liam Finn scoring and Briggs added the conversion.

Hartley’s excellent cross-field kick on the last tackle saw Steve Maden palm back and Dave Alstead touched down in the corner, with Hartley goaling from the touch line.

After Mitchell was held up on the right, Hartley put Nanyn away on the right and he touched down amid a melee of players.

Then a quick tap penalty and early pass from Hartley found Nanyn, who pushed through a tackle and strode home past a despairing tackle from Rovers full back Ian Hardman.

A slide-rule kick from Paul brought dual-reg player Mitchell his first try for the club after 61 minutes. Hartley struck a confident sixth goal to complete the scoring.

Leigh: Donlan; Maden, Alstead, Nanyn, Stanton; Hartley, Paul; Morrison, Duffy, Hill, Leuluai, Mitchell, Taylor. Subs: Goulden, McConnell, Emmitt, Armitstead.

Featherstone: Hardman; Steel, Smeaton, Coady, Saxton; Briggs, Kain; Morrison, Finn, Dickens, Manning, Spears, Allan. Subs: Dobek, Divorty, Lynch, Dale.