Leigh Centurions 26

Featherstone Rovers 6

by Mike Hulme

R

OVERS' return was another sobering experience for Andy Kelly and his men.

Exactly a week after being taken to the cleaners in the league, Rovers were given another harsh lesson by the in-form Centurions.

While all Leigh's silky attacking skills were on show the previous week, it was their steely defence that saw them through this one to set up an Arriva Trains National Cup home semi-final against Whitehaven in June.

Rovers were a far tougher proposition this time around and asked far more questions of Leigh than they did the previous week. But despite all their efforts they only managed one try - and that from a high kick to the corner.

It was that aspect of the game that gave coach Paul Terzis the most satisfaction.

"I take my hat off to our guys - our defence was absolutely outstanding. I wish we'd had as much focus in attack, if we had goodness knows what the scoreline would have been," Terzis reflected.

"We've set a benchmark for ourselves defensively with that performance and hopefully we can keep that going in the league games now."

Opposite number Kelly claimed that the result hinged on one controversial decision by referee Steve Nicholson who, on the advice of his touchjudge, ruled out Steve Dooler's 66th minute 'try'.

"The Featherstone player lost the ball over the line in a tackle," Nicholson revealed later. "My touchjudge was adamant that it was no try, so I was happy to go along with his ruling."

But Kelly was furious at the decision. Clearly referring to the 'no try' ruling, he said: "I think in some areas we were let down. There is only so much in a match that is in your control and that was a big decision that went against us.

"If we had come back to 14-10 or 14-12 I would have fancied us to kick on and win it from there."

While Terzis accepted it was big call from the officials, he preferred to praise the cover tackle from his skipper Adam Bristow.

"It was a sensational cover tackle. Many other players would have given it up, but Adam rescued a lost cause," he pointed out.

The decision certainly deflated Rovers and they were never to seriously threaten again as Leigh eased into the last four with two further tries.

Bristow was one of the stand-out performers in a solid team effort. He showed outstanding leadership and was given great support by the likes of Sonny Nickle, John Hamilton, Paul Norman and Willie Swann as Leigh again won the battle of the packs.

It was out wider where Leigh had the most problems. They will be the first to admit that they didn't execute as well as they had done the previous weeks with Dale Cardoza in particular coming up with a real mixed bag. Cardoza scored two typical tries but ruined a couple of others by off-loading to fresh air.

But despite their hit and miss attacking plays, Leigh still managed five tries and opened their account inside four minutes. Pat Weisner, who played a major part in three of Leigh's tries, created the first with a hanging bomb to Rovers left flank. As the defence hesitated, Damian Munro snatched the ball above his head and plunged in for his 16th of the season.

Stuart Dickens was a mile wide with a long range penalty shot before Leigh doubled their lead in the 15th minute. Again it was Weisner who prised the opening. Running across the face of the Rovers defence on the blind side, Weisner found Cardoza who brushed off Chris Langley and motored in from 15 metres.

Unlike the previous week, Rovers didn't capitulate and showed they had more of a stomach for the fight by making Leigh defended 10 successive tackles on their own line. But they couldn't break through and only managed two points from the boot of Dickens after Phil Kendrick had been pulled up for an illegal play the ball.

Leigh needed to score first in the second half and open up some daylight. It took them 11 minutes to find an opening which Hamilton exploited. Weisner and Bristow carried it on and when the skipper was stopped on the line, Cardoza picked up from dummy half and forced himself over the line for a try goaled by Weisner.

When highly-rated Rovers sub Richard Whiting made a long centre-field break, Leigh were back-pedalling. They seemed to have survived until, on the last tackle, Carl Briggs sent up a swirling bomb, Munro missed it and Adrian Flynn pounced for a four-pointer.

Leigh's nerves were stretched as Rovers closed the gap to 14-6 but they fell apart after Dooler's try was disallowed.

Just two minutes after the 'no try' ruling, Leigh put the game beyond doubt on the back of a massive touchfinding penalty from Weisner. The Rovers defence was slow to spot the danger when John Duffy straightened up and forced his way over at the foot of the posts. Weisner's goal put Leigh 20-6 up.

Eight minutes from time they had both feet in the semi-final when Flynn's long pass was off target and Munro swooped to race clear for his second of the game and fifth in a week against the team he spent time with on loan last season.

In the space of eight days, Leigh have now firmly laid the ghost of their Challenge Cup defeat.

SCORERS

Leigh: Tries - Munro (4, 72), Cardoza (15, 51), Duffy (68).

Gls: Weisner 3/5.

Rovers: Try - Flynn (56). Gls: Dickens 1/2, Briggs 0/1.

LEIGH: Alstead; Munro, Cardoza, Kendrick, Hadcroft; Weisner, Duffy; Nickle, Hamilton, Norman, Richardson, Bristow, Swann. Subs used: Ball, Henare, Rivett, Bradbury.

ROVERS: Graham; Stokes, Langley, Brown, Flynn; O'Meara, Briggs; Tonks, Darley, Dickens, Dooler, Rice, Seal. Subs used: Whiting, Jarrett, Bailey, Molyneux.

Penalties conceded: Leigh 10, Rovers 11.

Handling errors: Leigh 13, Rovers 13.

Referee: Steve Nicholson (Whitehaven).

Attendance: 1668.

Man

rSHOWING tremendous leadership qualities, Adam Bristow skilfully negotiated his side into the last four.

Magic

rBRISTOW'S stunning cover tackle on Steve Dooler that denied the second rower a try. It might not have been a match-winner, but it stopped Rovers' momentum at just the right time.

Moan

rLEIGH are playing their best rugby of the season, if not for years - and the gates drop. Baffled? I am, and so are the board.