BLACKPOOL Scorpions recorded their first win of the New Year after going behind to a brace of early tries by the visitors.
With 10 minutes on the clock, the Leigh dummy half scooted over from five yards for a simple converted try. The referee awarded a penalty to Leigh on their next possession.
They put on a move 20 yards out and the Scorpions defence was unable to stop the charging attacker. This try was unconverted and Leigh now led 10-0.
Scorpions kept their nerve and started to find gaps in the Leigh defence. Good forward running by the pack, in particularly Man of the Match, Dave Evans, put the Scorpions in good field position with plenty of tackles left.
Anthony Clark raced down the left and floated a pass out to his opposite winger Jamie Ashworth.
Ashworth, who was making his return to the side this season, caught the ball and raced 20 metres to score in the corner. Gareth Chadwick was unable to convert from out wide.
Scorpions were now taking control of the game and started speeding things up around the play the ball. This put Leigh on the back foot for the rest of the half.
Well controlled possession and good field position allowed Scorpions to put on their own planned move.
This resulted in Dave Tanner racing through a huge gap to score under the posts. Chadwick made no mistake with the conversion and the 2 teams went in level, 10-10, at half time.
From the second half kick off, Scorpions knew the game was there for the taking. Good work again by the home team forwards, allowed Chadwick to find space and pass out to young Phil Gamble, who had created a huge gap to waltz over the line for an easy try.
Scorpions stepped up the intensity of their defence. Leigh were unable to get out of their own half, and in a three man tackle, the Leigh player lost the ball which resulted in Pritchard finding Anthony Clark on the wing who bolted over from short range for an unconverted try.
Scorpions led 18-10 and Leigh were punished with a sin-binning for their continual foul play and back chatting to the referee.
Gareth Chadwick charged down the middle and with support players either side, he found young Danny Webster in space 30 metres from the line. With support on the inside in the form of another blooming youngster Anthony Green, Webster threw an outrageous dummy to the full back and dived over the line under the posts. Chadwick could not miss from here and the lead extended to 24-10.
With time running out, Leigh started to throw the ball wide along the line. Eventually, they breached the Scorpions line for the final time with a try in the right hand corner, which they were unable to convert.
Scorpions play Bank Quay Bulls for the second time this month next Saturday. They entertain them at home and look to avenge the 42-4 defeat on January 3. The added incentive is to inflict their first league defeat in two seasons.
Junior football back next week!
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