Leigh Centurions made a Monday evening trip to West Yorkshire with their sights set on second spot as they took on a Halifax Panthers who have had a disappointing start to the season and who find themselves in the bottom half of the table with just one win from their opening five fixtures.
To boost the gate, Halifax were charging just £10 admission, with under 16´s getting free entry under the #PanthersPremierParty branding with the hope of getting a bumper crowd atmosphere with the Premier Sports TV cameras being present.
A moment of magic on eight minutes broke the deadlock when Zak McComb chased down and grounded a James Saltonstall inside kick for a terrific opening try, Joe Keyes was unable to add the extras as he pulled his kick wide of the near post.
Leigh had several good opportunities, but the Halifax defence held firm until the twenty-fifth minute when Mark Ioane broke through the defensive line and dropped to the ground. Ben Reynolds was accurate with his conversion kick to edge Leigh into the lead.
Three minutes later Nene McDonald added a second Leigh try when he took a short pass and span out of a tackle to ground under the pressure of two further Panther’s tacklers. This time Reynolds couldn´t add the extras, the visitors six points to the good. The Panther’s defence was starting to look a little frail after a great start.
A superb Cory Aston tackle prevented Halifax going further behind on thirty-five as he forced the handover on his own try line, Leigh just six points to the good after an entertaining first half.
Reynolds kicked a 40-20 inside the opening minute of the second half but Halifax managed to intercept a wayward pass and diffuse the attack.
On forty-six Leigh extended their lead with the ball moved quickly through hands from left to right ending up with Keenan Brand who beat his man to ground. Reynolds guided his kick over the crossbar from the touchline for 16-4.
Just before the hour mark the Centurions sealed the win when Tom Amone took a short pass and outpaced his tackler to run the angle and cross for his first try. Reynold added the conversion for an eighteen-point lead.
On sixty-seven some silky-smooth handling from Halifax put Saltonstall in by the right corner flag off a Woodburn-Hall pass and when Keyes added the touchline conversion the Panthers hit double figures.
Joe Wardle smashed any hopes of a Halifax fightback on seventy-two, spinning out of the tackle to ground five metres in from the left touchline. Reynolds was unable to add the conversion but at 26-10 it was certainly all over for the home side.
Lachlan Walmsley grabbed a late consolation as he took a looping Keyes pass to go in at the corner. Keyes added the conversion for a final score of 16-26.
Leigh were in total control throughout this game but will look at the scoreline and wonder how they allowed the Panthers to get as close to them in the final tallies. The Reynolds kicking game was again top notch for the Centurions and they score some quality tries as then crossed the whitewash on five occasions. Halifax are still in the doldrums, but Leigh have the wind in their sails as they coast back into second spot in the table.
Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall, Walmsley (T), Arundel, McComb (T), Saltonstall (T), Aston, Keyes (2G), Mason, Moore, Murray, Garside, Ashworth, Tangata. Subs: Wood, Gwaze, Calcott, Barber.
Leigh Centurions: Aekins, Inu, Macdonald (T), Chamberlain, Brand (T), Reynolds (3G), Mellor, Sidlow, Smith, Amone (T), Wardle (T), Stone, Asiata. Subs: Ioane (T), McDonnell, Bell, Hingano.
Half-Time: 4-10.
Full-Time: 10-26.
Score Progression: 4-0, 4-4, 4-6, 4-10 : HT : 4-14, 4-16, 4-20, 4-22, 8-22, 10-22, 10-26, 14-26, 16-26 : FT .
Referee: Nick Bennett.
