Have they blown it?

IF the Centurions fail to make the Division One Grand Final they will reflect on sixty seconds of madness that could have wrecked their season.

Leigh's Achilles heel of ill-discipline is again a major issue with Ricky Bibey and Paul Rowley both being red-carded for separate incidents just after half time.

That left Leigh facing the best part of 40 minutes with just 11 men - and for a brief spell with only 10.

But for every action, there is a reaction. And just how well Leigh's remaining 11 played and how close they came to pulling off an upset must give them some hope for the future.

But if Leigh do now beat Hull KR at Hilton Park this weekend and reach the Grand Final, it seems certain they will be without both Bibey and Rowley for a Salford re-match.

The pair face disciplinary action by the RFL next Tuesday, Rowley on a charge of assault to the head with a forearm and Bibey for tripping.

Salford's chief play-maker Gavin Clinch was Rowley's victim. The Aussie was down for several minutes and played no further part in the game. Bibey also has little defence as he stuck out a leg to trip Cliff Beverley in full flight.

Both incidents came within a minute of each other at the start of the second half but rather than have a detrimental effect on Leigh, they only served to galvanise the team into a tremendous effort that almost brought the unlikliest of wins.

Salford, who scored 12 of their points in the first eight minutes, were run ragged for long periods. Leigh needed just a converted try to force extra time when Martin Moana's last minute try settled it.

Reds' boss Karl Harrison tried to put a brave face on it but knew his side had had a lucky escape.

"I thought Leigh played some super stuff and had us in all sorts of trouble in the second half. They played better with 11 men than they did with 13 but at the end of the day it was still a Salford victory."

Leigh's assistant coach Norman Turley admitted: "All the talk in our dressing room is 'ifs', 'buts' and 'maybes.' Who's to say what the outcome would have been had it been 13 against 13 in that second half.

"The two lads who were sent off are absolutely gutted, distraught. They know they've let themselves and the team down. They were moments of madness that cost us dear.

"But out of adversity came a second half performance that was full off pride, character and self-belief."

There was no hint of the drama that followed as Salford were out of the blocks faster than an Olympic sprint champion.

They had 12 points on the board inside eight minutes and all the indications were that Leigh were going to be swept aside. Salford scored with their first attack, Clinch's inch-perfect diagonal kick was plucked out of the air ahead of Dave Alstead by Stuart Litter and the Reds' centre was over in a flash.

Two breaks from Andy Coley ripped Leigh wide open but Salford couldn't finish either but they did manage it in the seventh minute when Clinch's half-break was supported by Chris Charles and Malcom Alker for Leigh old boy Simon Baldwin to finish under the posts. Two conversions from Charles made it 12-0.

It took Leigh some time to find their feet but they slowly worked themselves back into the game with the outstanding John Duffy, Pat Weisner and Adam Bristow becoming more and more influential.

Neil Turley started the ball rolling with a 14th minute penalty and not long afterwards a telling contribution from Tommy Martyn opened the defence just wide enough for Duffy to plunge in for a try against his old club. Turley again goaled and Leigh were only 12-8 down.

But on the back of a heavy first half penalty count of 8-4, Leigh conceded cheap field position too regularly for their own good and when Sean Richardson went too high in a tackle on Dave Highton, Charles potted a penalty to make it 14-8.

As a foretaste of what was to come after the break, skipper Bristow was given 10 minutes for using a swinging arm in a tackle.

Things went from bad to worse with the second half only a minute old when Bibey flicked out a leg to trip Beverley. The Leigh prop had barely reached the tunnel entrance when Rowley went in high and late on Clinch and referee Ian Smith again had no option but to his pocket for the red card.

Instead of that being the signal for Salford to press on and win the game hands down, it only served as a signal for Leigh to put the frighteners on.

Duffy, Weisner and Co repeatedly pushed Salford back deep into their own territory but they never had enough numbers of make an overlap. Their brave fight looked over when Salford lifted the siege and Beverley kicked ahead for Danny Arnold to hold off Wesiner and grab a six-pointer to make it 20-8.

Almost immediately, though, Leigh scored the best try of the match. They managed to stretch Salford both left and right before Lee Sanderson got Bristow plunging in for a converted try that put Leigh back to within six points.

Leigh were still only a converted try in arrears as the game went in to the final minute but it was then their tiring rearguard was pierced by Moana who picked his way through to the posts.

But Leigh were far from finished and Alstead finished in the corner from Duffy's neat kick.

Perhaps now Leigh have the self-belief that they have the capability to beat Salford in the Grand Final - but Hull KR will have something to say about that.

SCORERS - Salford - Tries: Littler (2), Baldwin (4), Arnold (55), Moana (79). Gls: Charles 5/6.

Leigh - Tries: Duffy (14), Bristow (59), Alstead (80). Gls: Turley 3/5.

Salford: Flowers; Arnold, Littler, Hunte, Kirk; Beverley, Clinch; Baynes, Alker, Coley, Baldwin, P.Highton, Charles. Subs used: Blakeley, D.Highton, Moana, Haggerty.

Leigh: Turley; Rivett, Hadcroft, Halliwell, Alstead; Duffy, Martyn; Nickle, Rowley, Bradbury, Richardson, Bristow, Weisner. Subs used: Bibey, Henare, Sanderson, Norman.

Sin-bin: Bristow (swinging arm 37 mins).

Sent-off: Bibey (tripping 41 mins; Rowley use of forearm 42).

Handling errors: Leigh 9, Salford 13.

Penalties conceded: Leigh 10, Salford 7.

Referee: Ian Smith (Oldham).

Attendance: 3660.

Magic

rTO see Leigh's 11 men run Salford ragged to set up Bristow's second half try. You had to be there to believe it.

Man

rSO many heroes in the second half but Duffy just about edged it against his old club. He, for one, deserved to be on a winning side.

Moan

rNO prizes for guessing. That crazy 60 seconds at the start of the second half which seriously damaged Leigh's chances of victory.