Leigh 27 Batley 22 by Mike Hulme: LEIGH'S walking wounded just about had enough class to hang on for a victory that keeps them top of National League One.

Coach Darren Abram paid tribute to his patched-up side who started without the influential Paul Rowley and Ian Knott and lost Steve Maden and Tommy Martyn before half time.

"That was a brave effort," Abram said. "We had players out there who had no right to be, but they put their hands up to play and put their bodies on the line. I'm proud of every one of them."

While Leigh wait for the results of a scan on Rowley's serious knee injury, they have new worries over winger Maden who was stretchered off with a knee ligament injury and Martyn who damaged a collar bone.

It was on the back of a massive 40/20 from Martyn that Leigh took the lead with man of the match Oliver Wilkes bursting over wide out. When John Duffy and Danny Halliwell carved out a try for Neil Turley for a 12-0 lead, it looked like being a long afternoon for fourth placed Batley. But when Leigh lost Martyn and Maden in quick succession Batley started to show that they meant business.

They pulled the scored back to 13-12 but two tries in as many minutes effectively won it for Leigh.