Leigh Centurions win at Keighley Cougars (From This Is Lancashire)

Leigh Centurions win at Keighley Cougars

9:51pm Sunday 14th March 2010 in

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Keighley Cougars 12 Leigh Centurions 34

LEIGH Centurions’ second game of the Co-operative Championship season rarely scaled the heights of their thrilling draw against Barrow on the opening night but none the less, taken in context this was just as important.

Although Centurions claimed victory at Dewsbury last week in the Northern Rail Cup, they had not won a league game on the road since an 18-16 win over Batley in May last year.

Thankfully that statistic is now confined to the record books and this game will show victory by six tries to two, although really it should have been more.

A perfect first 10 minutes set the platform for Leigh, who scored the first two tries of the game.

Martyn Ridyard, starting ahead of Tim Hartley at stand off, grabbed the initiative after five minutes with a individual try as he stepped and swerved past four players to the line for Mick Nanyn to add the first of five goals.

Lee Mitchell sliced through the defence moments later and only a good tackle from George Rayner brought the move to a stop.

Keighley had their first chance of points after 13 minutes when an astute cross kick from Danny Jones found Gavin Duffy at pace but he ignored inside support and could not release the ball left on the last tackle.

It was Leigh who then compounded things when, after a Cougars knock-on, Centurions attacked the blind-side from a scrum for John Duffy to find an unstoppable Nanyn from 10 metres.

Although Centurions’ speed of line was for the most part excellent, often restricting their opponents to just 30 metres forward, Keighley did show Ian Millward that there is still work for his side to do when another Jones kick saw Rayner contest possession with Stuart Donlan.

The Leigh full back looked to have covered things before a fumble pushed the ball behind the Leigh line and substitute Ryan Benjafield came through to score.

Jones converted and as the game ground to a standstill due to the lack of speed around the play-the-ball it became attritional in centre field.

Despite this, Leigh still fashioned an opportunity for Tommy Goulden but he spilled the ball and then Andy Shickell showed good agility after 33 minutes to put Leigh’s Steve Maden in touch.

Keighley kicked down the right regularly but only succeeded in finding Dave Alstead who was as solid as ever on his 100th appearance.

A couple of restrictive sets from the Centurions defence won the battle for territory and Leigh moved 12 points clear with a try before the interval that was fashioned by the boot of Robbie Paul.

He grubbered behind the line and Jimmy Taylor touched down for his 12th Leigh try and Nanyn converted to make it 18-6 at the break.

Good defence from Will Cartledge forced an error for Keighley but the Cougars could not make it count and Leigh had the next chance when Ricky Bibey combined with the impressive David Armitstead but the move was pulled back for a forward pass.

Paul found a way through the Cougars defence from close range to score after 49 minutes and Centurions’ second try of the half followed less than 10 minutes later.

It was Paul that sparked things before Matty Blythe shipped the ball to Maden and he stepped inside to touch down despite the best efforts of Daley Williams.

Nanyn and Mike Morrision were then held up over the line while seven-try Alstead could not latch on to a wide pass.

Keighley offered spirited resistance and their defence held firm before a break-out try raised Cougars’ hopes of a bonus point.

Home full back Rayner, an attacking threat throughout, supported a good break from Jon Presley.

Jones added the extras but Leigh stepped up their efforts immediately and scored their sixth try at the end, a typical Nanyn effort which the big centre converted to complete his 18-point haul, but importantly a Leigh victory.

Keighley: George Rayner; Craig Moss, Tom Burton, Daley Williams, Gavin Duffy; Jon Presley, Danny Jones; Andy Shickell, James Feather, Sam Crowther, Chris Baines, Ollie Pursglove, Carl Hughes. Subs: Jamaine Wray, James Haythornthwaite, Will Cartledge, Ryan Benjafield.

ries: Benjafield 24, Rayner 72.

Goals: Jones 2/2.

Leigh: Stuart Donlan; Steve Maden, Matty Blythe, Mick Nanyn, Dave Alstead; Martyn Ridyard, Robbie Paul; Chris Hill, John Duffy, Mike Morrison, Tommy Goulden, James Taylor, Lee Mitchell. Subs: Ricky Bibey, Jacob Emmitt, MacGraff Leuluai, Dave Armitstead.

Tries: Ridyard 5, Nanyn 18, 79, Taylor 35, Paul 49, Maden 79.

Goals: Nanyn 4/5.

Referee: Mr R Hicks.

Penalties 6-5 to Keighley Attendance: 1,115.