LEIGH'S mid-season form slump is becoming a major worry.

Good Friday's 28-16 stumble at Widnes was their third defeat in four games -- and all the old doubts have started to creep back in.

They had their chances as, for the first fifteen minutes, they had Widnes on the back foot.

But, for all their huffing and puffing, Leigh failed to grab a single point.

The first Widnes attack brought its reward with Paul Wingfield unable to take a bomb cleanly; suddenly Leigh were a try and goal down.

Wingfield then knocked over Leigh's only points of the half.

They would have settled for a 6-2 interval deficit but Widnes struck again on 36 minutes and the omens were not good.

Ironically, two ex-Leigh players did the damage, Lee Hansen scattering the defence, Andy Cheetham scoring.

Leigh looked on the verge of a comeback when Anthony Murray sent Paul Anderson in. But that was as good as it got.

After Stuart Donlan's 51st minute dismissal, Leigh fell to pieces.

Adam Bristow's late consolation try and a fourth Wingfield goal ended the misery.

LEIGH: Donlan; Wingfield, Anderson, Cross, Ingram; Fairclough, Purtill; Street, Higham, Whittle, Baldwin, Cruckshank, Bristow. Subs: Murray, Causey, Norman, Bowker. Attendance: 4,237