Workington Town 17 Leigh Centurions 18

By Mike Hulme THE Centurions needed all their know-how and determination to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

There were just four minutes left on the clock and Leigh were behind 17-12 when they put together a trademark length of the field scoring move that eventually secured a 12th successive win for the NFP champions.

But even then they survived a late scare when sub Willie Swann pulled off an astonishing cover tackle to prevent Lynton Stott snatching a winning try for Town.

Leigh will be the first to admit that this was not one of their better days and conceded that on balance the best team lost.

Town were certainly strong enough, but not smart enough.

Props Matt Sturm and Hitro Okesene gave the Centurions a real working over but like their team-mates were slow to spot the danger when Leigh launched their 76th minute match-winning raid.

Started by wingers Michael Watts and Alan Hadcroft on their own tryline, the Centurions were allowed to stand and off-load before Paul Anderson produced a bullocking diagonal run from 30 metres out to go in behind the posts. Simon Svabic's straightforward conversion put Leigh ahead for the first and only time.

Leigh must have known they were in for a hard time from the way Town hit them with everything bar the kitchen sink in the early exchanges. Such was Town's territorial advantage that Leigh would have happily settled for a 2-0 deficit which came from a Kevin Hetherington penalty. But two tries in three minutes rocked the champions to the core.

Stott twice kicked through, the second attempt eluding Neil Turley but falling kindly for Town centre John Allen to gather and score. Hetherington added the extras from the touchline.

When Leigh's re-start went dead, Town were at their throats again, Gary Charlton sending second rower Stuart Hoyles bursting through for another converted try and a 14-0 lead.

Just when it seemed Leigh would never score, Simon Baldwin produced a typically strong break and Andy Fairclough backed him up on the inside to reduce the half time deficit to 14-6 and set the platform for Leigh's second half comeback.

Leigh got the perfect start to the second half when a mix-up Town's defence after Anderson had kicked through, brought a gift try out wide for Watts.

Town looked like inching towards victory with another Hetherington penalty and Stott field goal for a 17-12 lead.

But Leigh finished strongly. Dave Whittle had a try disallowed for a forward pass and Turley went agonisingly close before they put together their late match-winning move.

Leigh: Turley; Hadcroft, Anderson, Fairclough, Watts; Svabic, Bretherton; Norman, Duffy, Whittle, Baldwin, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Bradbury, Swann, Hamilton, Leathem.