DREW Hutchison scored his first hat-trick for the club and Liam Hood continued his personal try spree as Leigh avenged one of their embarrassing early season defeats.

It wasn’t always pretty but Centurions’ eighth successive Betfred Championship and Challenge Cup win was certainly sweet after a 24-20 defeat at Craven Park back in February.

Hooker Hood has now touched down seven times in his last six games while Hutchison helped himself to three of his team’s eight tries.

However, Leigh’s latest success still wasn’t sufficient to see them climb into the top four as leaders Toronto, Featherstone, Toulouse and Sunday’s next opponents, London, also won handsomely.

“The game wasn’t a great spectacle; the tempo of the game was really slow,” said caretaker coach, Kieron Purtill.

“But we must have tackled really hard because there were a lot of people staying down,” he added.

Hutchison and Ben Reynolds who finished with 18 points, scored early tries but Barrow stayed in the game with Joe Bullock’s try.

Ryan Bailey’s touch down then re-established Leigh’s dominance before Matty Dawson-Jones also touched down to give the home side a 22-6 interval advantage.

Barrow’s tactics to slow the tempo paid dividends early in the second period as Jarrad Stack and Brett Carter went over for tries goaled by Jamie Dallimore.

At 22-18, the game suddenly became too close to call but 24 points in the closing 12 minutes, including Hutchison’s completion of his hat-trick, more than eased any nerves.

“When the score got close and there was only one try in it, at the beginning of the year we might have given that away,” admitted Purtill.

“But we showed some good composure and Ryan Bailey coming off the bench gave us a big lift. He showed his experience and what we brought him in to do.

“But Barrow came with a game plan and executed it and that’s what they have been doing all year.”

On Hutchison’s performance, Purtill added: “It wasn’t one of his better games if I am being honest.

“The game didn’t suit him being so slow, but he showed some good composure at times and took his tries well.”

*Former Leigh star Josh Drinkwater made a winning start to his new career with Catalans Dragons. Drinkwater, whose last Centurions appearance was against the French side in last season’s Million Pounds game, scored a try and kicked six goals in a surprise 25-24 win over Hull FC last Saturday.

Match stats: Leigh: Mata’utia; Dawson-Jones, Evans, Hall, Owens; Reynolds, Hutchison; Mason, Hood, Acton, Hansen, B.Thompson, J Thompson; substitutes: Higham, Bailey, Richards, Larroyer

Tries: Hutchison (3, 68, 73), Reynolds (9), Bailey (31), Dawson-Jones (35), Hood (76), Hall (80).

Goals: Reynolds (7).

Barrow: Fieldhouse; Carter, Hulme, Litherland, Ormsby; Dallimore, Johnston; Bullock, Mossop, Susino, Smith, Stack, Aspinwall; substitutes: Parata, Crellin, Toal, Duffiy.

Tries: Bullock (18), Stack (45), Carter (54).

Goals: Dallimore (3).

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.

Half-time: 22-6.

Attendance: 3228.