Eagles have Leigh in a flap

Leigh Centurions...34 THE Eagles took to the air and came within a whisker of 'bombing' the Centurions into submission.

Sheffield's aerial attack transformed a game that Leigh had in their pockets into a desperate struggle for both competition points.

Eagles player coach Mark Aston clearly felt Leigh have a weakness under the high ball judging by the way that Gavin Brown, Scott Rhodes and later Aston himself, peppered the Centurions' tryline at every opportunity.

The tactic brought the Eagles three of their five tries as Leigh's right flank defence of Dave Jones, Jason Johnson and later Alan Cross, spent as much time in the air as they did on the ground!

It's an area of the game Leigh will have to improve on. Dewsbury did it the previous week and the Eagles followed their lead. Doubtless other NFP coaches will also have taken note.

Yet for over 40 minutes Leigh had looked clear winners. Despite being badly depleted by injuries - they had 10 senior players unavailable - the Centurions didn't look in any real trouble until the final 20 minutes. But by the end they were grateful to hear the final hooter.

It may have been the absence of the rock-steady Neil Turley at the back that unsettled Leigh, but whatever the reason they were in a flap every time the Eagles went to the air. And with a couple of dodgy decisions from referee Richard Silverwood, Sheffield's late fightback threatened to turn the game on it's head.

For once the clock ran down in Leigh's favour and with Keighley and Dewsbury slipping up elsewhere, the Centurions moved a massive 10 points clear at the top of the table.

Despite Leigh's clear failings on Sunday evening, they know that not many teams will go to the Don Valley and win. Doncaster and Widnes have both failed their in recent weeks. So to come up with a 10th win from 11 games on the road isn't to be sniffed at.

There was little indication of the drama to come when Leigh took the lead inside two minutes to begin a first half of almost total dominance by the Centurions. Scrum-half Willie Swann quickly made amends from knocking on at the kick off by being at the conclusion of a length of the field move to bounce out of two tackles and send stand-in full-back Liam Bretherton hurtling between the posts. Simon Svabic landed the first of five goals.

The Eagles opening try in the 10th minute was a sign of things to come. Scott Rhodes launched a hanging bomb to the corner; Jones and Johnson get in a tangle and Bright Sodje tipped the ball back for Chris Chapman to score. Richard Goddard's goal shot hit the far post.

Leigh quickly put that setback behind them and always looked dangerous when they got within striking distance. They stretched their lead to 12-4 when Dave Whittle slipped a ball away close to the line for John Duffy to find a hole and plunge in.

Having conceded one try to a bomb, Leigh didn't heed the lesson and almost let in another by not putting enough pressure on Rhodes. The scrum-half put in another spiralling kick to Leigh's right corner but luckily for the Centurions Goddard was unable to ground cleanly.

Having had their lucky escape, Leigh went to the other end and increased their lead; Duffy finding Adam Bristow at his shoulder for the skipper to muscle his way over out wide. Svabic's fine kick made it 18-4.

The Eagles got to within 10 points when Brown's hoisted another kick to the corner where Goddard and sun Andy Brent caused enough panic for Chapman to come up with his second try. This time Goddard turned it into a six-pointer.

Leigh moved 20 points clear at the break with two tries in the final eight minutes of the half. Smart approach work by Bristow and Svabic ended with John Hamilton providing a short pass for Dave Bradbury to force his way through. Not long afterwards Swann capped an outstanding first half when he kicked ahead out of dummy half after spotting the Eagles defence out of position. His kick bounced nicely off the foot of an upright as Swann followed up to touchdown.

At 30-10 it should have been game set and match but when Wayne Flynn scored out wide in the 45th minute, it gave the Eagles all the encouragement they needed. They got the field position thanks to a 60 metres touchfinder from Goddard which came after Whittle had taken exception to an incident in a tackle. It was Sheffield's first try which came through the hands rather than off the boot.

In the final analysis Leigh's sixth try in the 56th minute was vital although Svabic's missed conversion from in front of the posts could have been costly. Sub Hamilton had squirmed over from dummy half after Whittle was held up just short. It kept Leigh's noses in front just when they needed it.

The final 16 minutes were a test of Leigh's nerve as the Eagles came back strongly with a dozen unanswered points.

Aston's pass to Ricky Wright looked forward but despite Leigh complaints the try stood and Brown converted. Leigh also felt they had a case for a clear knock on from Campbell before Aston put up the bomb that brought a try for Sodje on his return to the Don Valley after spells away with Wakefield and Hull KR.

With just a converted try between the sides, Leigh were worried enough to try a late field goal from Lee Sanderson.

LEIGH: Bretherton; Jones, Johnson, Kendrick, Watts; Svabic, Swann; Street, Duffy, Whittle, Bradbury, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Norman (for Street 26), Hamilton (for Duffy 26), Sanderson (for Svabic 58), Cross (for Jones 61), Street (for Norman 68), Duffy (for Whittle 70).

EAGLES: Foster; Wells, Kite, Campbell, Sodje; G.Brown, Rhodes; Hill, Dobson, Wright, Kershaw, Goddard, Flynn. Subs: Aston (for Rhodes 46), Judge (for Kershaw 22), I.Brown (for Hill 32BB, BBR 59), Brent (for Wright 21), Kershaw (for Goddard 61), Wright (for Brent 62), I.Brown (for Dobson 76).

SCORERS: Leigh - Tries: Bretherton, Duffy, Bristow, Bradbury, Swann, Hamilton. Gls: Svabic (5). Eagles - Tries: Chapman (2), Flynn, Wright, Sodje. Gls: Goddard (2), G.Brown 2.

PENALTIES AWARDED: Leigh 7, Sheffield 8.

SCRUMS WON: Leigh 4, Sheffield 6.

REFEREE: Richard Silverwood (Mirfield).

ATTENDANCE: 1614