Leigh end regular season with 40-22 win at Dewsbury (From Leigh Journal)

Dewsbury Rams 22 Leigh Centurions 40

2:39pm Friday 2nd September 2011 in Centurions

LEIGH Centurions joined Featherstone Rovers at the top of the Co-operative Championship as their regular season ended with a 40-22 win at Dewsbury Rams last night.

Featherstone have a +44 points difference going into their final game at Widnes Vikings on Sunday and therefore remain favourites to win the League Leaders’ Shield and clinch home advantage over Leigh in the first play-offs game.

Dewsbury were relegated as a consequence of Leigh’s win, which was sealed with an 18-0 second-half performance just hours after confirmation that their coach Ian Millward would be leaving at the end of the season to join Castleford Tigers on a three-year deal.

Millward’s men had taken a 16-4 lead but they were pegged back to 16-16 and 22-22 by the gutsy Yorkshire outfit.

Tries from Jimmy Taylor, Stuart Donlan and Mick Nanyn, who went on to haul in 20 points from two tries and six goals, looked to have put the visitors in a commanding position early on.

But Rams fought back with scorers from Ayden Faal, Michael Wainwright and Matt Nicholson.

Dewsbury then went in front courtesy of a Pat Walker penalty before centre Nanyn crossed again.

Austin Buchanan scored from the last move of the first half to make sure the teams turned around on an even keel.

But Centurions sealed the victory with tries from prop Chris Hill, stand off Martyn Ridyard and scrum half Jamie Ellis, his 34th of the season.