Mike Hulme reports from Hilton Park

IT rained, rained some more, and then bucketed down. With Hilton Park a paddy field, the Centurions re-launched the second half of their NFP programme with a routine 'home away win over Swinton Lions.

Leigh's temporary lodgers showed considerable improvement since their last visit with new coach Phil Vievers putting a more structured pattern in their play. But they've a long way to go to reach the Centurions' standards.

Now the Buddies Cup is out of the way, Leigh have cleared the decks in an all-out bid to catch runaway league leaders Huddersfield.

Leigh's victory leapfrogged them into second place, eight points behind the Giants but with three games in hand. Even if Leigh win all remaining 17 games, they'll need Huddersfield to slip up at least once if they are to finish top of the pile for a second successive year.

But all that's in the future. All that's concerning coach Paul Terzis is the here and now.

The Leigh boss declared himself very satisfied with Leigh's seven try victory. "To score 40 points in conditions like that feels like we've scored 80.

"I was pleased with our attacking game, we looked dangerous in that area all afternoon. Handling was a bit of a lottery but that was only to be expected."

The one area of Leigh's game that pleased the boss most was his team's weakest link - defence.

"Our defence has been poor at times this season but I thought today we were magnificent. Swinton only made two line breaks all 80 minutes and their try was a bit of a scrambled effort on the last tackle with 10 minutes to go."

With five ex-Leigh players in their 17, the Lions gave the Centurions a game for the first half. But when Dave Bradbury went in for Leigh's fourth try straight after half time, the door of an improbable victory was slammed in their faces.

Jon Roper had already spilled one presentable chance before Swinton took a fourth minute lead thanks to a Mick Nanyn penalty.

Second rower Andy Isherwood, back to something like his best after an indifferent few weeks, set up Leigh's opening try when he smuggled the ball away in a three man tackle, allowing the supporting Willie Swann to bellyflop over the line. The first of Neil Turley's four goals made it 6-2.

The Lions had barely time to draw breath before Simon Svabic's half break caused panic in the defensive line. Leigh didn't waste the opportunity as Adam Bristow's well timed pass sent Swann flying in again.

When Roper collected Leigh's third touchdown of the day in the 21st minute to make it 16-2, a landslide victory looked on the cards.

But the Lions dug in and made life difficult for their landlords. Even when Dale Holdstock was sin-binned for persistent offside, the Lions didn't crack.

The match-clinching try came just four minutes after half time when Swann's incisive break ended with Bradbury strolling untouched through to the posts. Turley's conversion made it 22-2.

With the match well under control, Leigh were able to turn on some style and scored again with a trademark counter-attack try.

Turley and Isherwood sprung the attack from deep inside their own territory, and Gareth Price finished it off in the left corner.

When Turley crashed into a perimeter advertising board in pursuit of his 20th try of the season, the Centurions held their breath as their leading scorer was carried off and taken to hospital.

"My heart was in my mouth for a while," Terzis admitted. "It was certainly on helluva thump. It was probably the only ball all afternoon that didn't stop dead as soon as it hit the turf. It just goes to show how much Neil enjoys scoring tries to put his body on the line like that."

Turley's injury dampened Leigh's enthusiasm in the final quarter but they still managed to come up with two more tries either side of Rob Barraclough's 71st minute consolation try.

Svabic's short ball got Price in again and just before the end Phil Kendrick glided across the pools of water to set up Isherwood. Svabic added both goals.

Match Facts

SCORERS: Leigh: Tries - Swann (7, 11), Roper (21), Bradbury (44), Price (53, 67), Isherwood (80). Gls: Turley 4 from 5, Svabic 2 from 2. Swinton: Try - Barraclough (71). Gl: Nanyn 1 from 2.

Leigh: Turley; Irwin, Kendrick, Roper, McCully; Svabic, Swann; Matautia, Hamilton, Whittle, Price, Isherwood, Bristow. Subs: Ball (for Whittle 32), Duffy (for Swann 55), Rowley (for Hamilton 27), Bradbury (for Matautia 27), Whittle (for Ball 63), Hamilton (for Turley 63).

Swinton: Hughes; Dickinson, Nanyn, Thorpe, Roach; Gallagher, Dean; Shea, Barraclough, Hansen, Holdstock, Wingfield, Cannon. Subs: Hudson (for Hughes 59), Chambers (for Wingfield 32), Cushion (for Shea 26), Pratt (for Holdstock 52), Wingfield (for Hansen 69).

Handling errors: Leigh 17, Swinton 11.

Penalties conceded: Leigh 10, Swinton 12.

Sin Bin: Holdstock (Swinton), 35mins, persistent offside.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley).

Star man

rLEIGH'S back three of Price, Isherwood and Bristow were magnificent but 'Ishy' gets the nod for scoring one and setting up two more.

Magic Moment

rTHE 53rd minute counter-attack launched by Turley and Isherwood and finished off by Price was pure Leigh.

Moan of the match

rTAKE your pick. Either the foul weather or the sickening thud made by Neil Turley as he slide into an advertising board.