Thrilling draw kicks off Centurion's league campaign

11:41am Monday 1st March 2010

By David Parkinson

Leigh Centurions are up and running in the Championship following a thrilling home draw with last season's champions Barrow Raiders.

It was no more than the Centurions deserved thanks to a workmanlike performance from their pack, in addition to menace posed by fullback Stuart Donlan; although they had to rely on the boot of Mick Nanyn who converted a penalty after the final hooter had sounded.

Barrow had the better of the opening exchanges and just a couple of minutes in put James Nixon down the left wing only for Stuart Donlan to haul him down.

As quick as a flash he bounced up, played the ball, ran off and moments later was on his way to hospital. On the next play Lee Mitchell launched himself at former Warrington team-mate Andy Bracek and Bracek also had to leave the field and played no further part.

Leigh were then penalised for offside but Jamie Rooney missed with his goal attempt.

A high tackle from debutant Tyrone McCarthy on Andy Henderson saw a second penalty head Barrow’s way and they turned the screw when on the last tackle Rooney dummied to kick, then dummied to pass before he shot through the middle to score.

After 13 minutes a good move that involved John Duffy and Robbie Paul got Stuart Donlan over for his 50th try for the club on the right but Nanyn missed the conversion.

Five minutes after that Leigh took the lead for the first time when Chris Hill, Duffy and Tim Hartley all created space and Paul shot through a gap before handing back to Hartley.

Although Taylor was hauled down short, Paul kicked over to the right corner where Dave Alstead collected unopposed and went over for his third try of the season.

The Centurions then dominated the remainder of the half with David Armitstead getting through a mountan of work.

A sporadic Barrow attack almost came up trumps when Liam Harrison linked with Danny Halliwell but the former Leigh player's kick for Rooney evaded the halfback and MacGraff Leuluai cleaned up the situation.

Alstead then had to push Halliwell over the touchline after the visitors made more inroads using their left side attack.

The Centurions once again came alive before the break but had to be content with a Hartley penalty after McCarthy was tackled high by Chris Young.

After the interval Barrow came out an altogether different team, confident in attack and punishing in defence.

An attractive six pass play from left to right involving several players stretched the home defence and Andy Ballard finished well.

Rooney missed the goal and a couple of minutes later a break on the right came from a suspect Noone pass. Nathan Mossop looked set to score before an excellent chase back tackle came from Tommy Goulden.

Leigh struggled to create and the Raiders showed them how it was done after 53 minutes when they kept the ball alive and Harrison's cheeky offload brought a try for Haliwell.

Again Rooney was off target with the goal kick but he made amends a little over a minute later.

From the restart Harrison thundered downfield to bring the best from Stuart Donlan before the ball moved right at pace for Zeb Luisi to find Young and and a hole in the Leigh defence.

Now leading by eight points, Barrow looked in control and had this been last season the Centurions would probably have shipped another couple of tries in.

But this Leigh side is made of sterner stuff and things started ticking for Centurions when Duffy appeared for a second spell at hooker shortly after the hour mark.

This saw Leigh adopt a different attacking approach and both Nanyn and Donlan were stopped close before Matty Blythe saw a debut try correctly chalked off after 67 minutes thanks in part to a solid tackle from Ned Catic.

Duffy jinked from dummy-half and found Chris Hill, who motored into the Barrow half before an excellent reverse pass found Donlan and he ran to the posts for his second.

Hartley tagged on the extras quickly and with Barrow on the rack, Leigh turned down a kickable penalty and ran the ball.

That decision appeared to backfire on the Centurions when the ball was turned back inside by Taylor and Hartley knocked on.

Barrow had another opportunity themselves when Rooney linked with Luisi but the tackling was sound and the game was Barrow’s as near as 44 seconds from the end when Harrison spilled the ball deep inside the Leigh “20”.

However with one final role of the dice, the Centurions moved into Barrow territory.

They looked to have bombed their opportunity when McCarthy put a scruffy kick in, but when the ball squirmed away from Mossop and Halliwell dived from an offside position, Nanyn levelled from 30 metres to ensure a share of the spoils and bring a dramatic, breathless game to conclusion.

LEIGH: Donlan, Alstead, Blythe, Nanyn, Maden; Hartley, Paul; Hill, Duffy, Emmett, Mitchell, Taylor, McCarthy. Subs: Goulden, McConnell, Armitstead, Leuluai.

Goals: Hartley 3/3 Nanyn 1/2 BARROW: Broadbent, Ballard, Halliwell, Harrison, Nixon; Rooney, Coyle; Bracek, Henderson, Roberts, Fletcher, Catic, Luisi. Subs: Young, McDermott, Noone, Mossop Tries: Rooney 7, Ballard 43, Halliwell 53, Young 54.