12:07pm Monday 6th July 2009
By David Parkinson
Halifax 48 Leigh Centurions 16
FOR the second time in a month Leigh visited The Shay and despite showing plenty of spirit suffered a first half to forget and slipped to a fifth successive defeat while their hosts moved top of the table.
The contrast between the teams was illustrated as early as the third minute when, after the impressive Jamie Smith tackled Rob Worrincy into touch, Leigh moved play down their left side and managed to get big Mick Nanyn in space, with an overlap, but the move was brought back for a forward pass.
Halifax took a stranglehold on territory and two minutes later opened the scoring when Bob Beswick’s low kick found Shad Royston and the prolific loose forward scored the first of two tries.
Former Rochdale winger Lee Paterson hit the first of eight goals and the hosts were up and running.
Leigh’s pack then received a blow when Mark Castle was helped from the field with a knee injury.
It became 12-0 to ‘Fax after 12 minutes when a trio of former Leigh players cut the Centurions defence open.
First Dave Larder drew a defender and his short ball released Miles Greenwood and just as Ian Mort moved in, he in turn passed for Mick Govin. The quick thinking of Govin then saw young second row Andy Bowman stride over.
Just as Centurions seemed set for their own assault on Halifax, Andy Hobson spoke out of turn to referee Jamie Leahy and Leigh found themselves under the cosh once more.
Halifax built patiently on the Leigh line and had four consecutive sets before Mark Gleeson spied his chance from dummy half and scythed through.
Patterson converted and things went from bad to worse for Leigh as they conceded a fifth penalty and Mike Morrison was marched to the sin bin after 26 minutes.
Holding Halifax with a full compliment is a difficult job and it became even tougher. Within 60 seconds of the yellow card, substitute Frank Watene ploughed between the posts from close range.
Trailing 24-0, Leigh gamely replied and after forcing Halifax into some last ditch defending of their own, the pressure appeared to be off after one of several handling errors saw a scrum pack down close to the hosts line.
Being top of the table makes sides play with confidence but on this occasion ‘Fax were arrogant and a long pass from Beswick created an almighty mix up with the ball ricocheting off two home players and the body of Steve Maden, straight into the path of Mort who touched down for his 10th try of the campaign.
His conversion narrowed the gap and Leigh began to enjoy their best spell of the half on the back of renewed go-forward from the likes of Chris Hill and impressive James Taylor.
Looking to launch an attack before half time, it sadly went wrong for Centurions when the enthusiastic Jamie Durbin, in as a late replacement for Dave McConnell, looked to spark the left attack but instead of finding Nanyn, Worrincy cut in field to snatch the intercept and race over from 50 metres.
Leigh trailed 30-6 at half time and made a solid start to the second half, frustrating the likes of Said Tamghart and Mark Roberts with good defence.
The first try of the second half also went Leigh’s way when Tom Hemingway hoisted a high kick that had Worrincy all at sea, and Jamie Smith collected to dive in at the corner.
Mort converted from the touchline but the next score crucially went the way of Halifax.
The home side peppered the Leigh try line before Sean Penkywicz split the defence with a brilliant pass and James Haley touched down.
That score visibly deflated Centurions and they were soon on the back foot again after the hour mark when Greenwood’s long run was halted by Mort.
It only delayed the inevitable and on the next play Penkywicz found Royston for the loose forward to get to the line.
Centurions rallied and came up with a third try when Jamie Smith grounded a second try after Watson’s kick and more Worrincy confusion but Fax displayed their superiority a couple of minutes later when Beswick slid a low kick behind the line and Haley just got the scoring touch before the ball trickled dead.
With Leigh finally using Nanyn as the attacking weapon he is, Centurions again posed a danger down the left and Smith was denied a hat-trick by Worrincy inches from the line.
Halifax realised they had done enough, and the Centurions prevented the league leaders from running fifty points past them for a second time. It was scant consolation.
Halifax: Miles Greenwood, Lee Paterson, Jon Goddard, James Haley, Rob Worrincy; Mick Govin, Sean Penkwicz; Dana Wilson, Bob Beswick, Dave Larder, Andy Bowman, Paul Smith, Shad Royston. Subs: Mark Gleeson, Mark Roberts, Said Tamghart, Frank Watene.
Tries: Royston 2, Bowman, Gleeson, Watene, Worrincy, Haley 2. Goals: Paterson 8/8.
Leigh: Ian Mort, Jamie Smith, Mick Nanyn, Tony Stewart, Steve Maden; Tom Hemingway, Ian Watson; Mark Castle, Jamie Durbin, Andy Hobson, Dave Armitstead, James Taylor, Aaron Smith. Subs: Martyn Ridyard, Mike Morrison, Chris Hill, Macgraff Leuluai.
Tries: Mort, Jamie Smith 2. Goals: Mort 2/3.
Referee: Jamie Leahy Penalty count: 14-5 to Halifax.
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