Leigh Centurions...44

Chorley Lynx...8

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HE Centurions are not alone in making all the right noises that the Buddies National League Cup is a meaningful and worthwhile competition.

But try telling that to the supporters who've stayed away in their droves. There's more atmosphere on the moon than these group stage games have created so far.

Just 1400 roused themselves from the armchair to see Sunday's game. How many came to honour Leigh's double-winning team of 1982 and how many came to watch the current version is open to conjecture.

What can't be denied that when the boys of '82 filed onto the pitch at half time they brought more of a cheer than any of the action that had gone before or that was to follow.

Now there is a cash prize at stake for the eventual winners - nobody seems to know how much however - Leigh have added the trophy to their list of priorities.

"If there's silverware to be won, then count us in," says head coach Paul Terzis.

But with one round of matches to play, just which teams will qualify for the two automatic quarter-final places is still unresolved.

Sunday's win took the Centurions to the top of the West Division, ahead of Barrow and Whitehaven on marginal points difference. Victory at Barrow on Sunday week will see Leigh through, defeat and it's then down to mathematics.

Terzis expects the competition to pick up once the knockout stage arrives and expects Leigh's form to pick up at the same time.

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wasteful and careless approach against Chorley is one thing. Replicate that against better sides in the later stages then wave goodbye to the cup.

Terzis knows his side must smarten up their act. They are still far to wasteful with possession, guilty of forcing passes and attempting to score off every set. More patience please.

Yet despite 18 handling errors Terzis says Leigh achieved the goals they set themselves pre-match.

"We set a target of 40 points or better and we achieved that. And we set another target of conceding just one try in each half which we did," he said.

Even without their ex-Leigh contingent of Tim Street and Michael Watts, Chorley aren't quite the soft touches of the past. Indeed they played some attractive stuff, especially in the first half, drawing praise from Terzis who jokingly said: "I thought I was watching Leigh at times!"

Chorley did make the going tough, holding Leigh out until the 18th minute, but it was a burst of three tries in six second half minutes that finally put some daylight between the sides. Only then could Leigh relax.

Wingers Steve Ormesher and Dave Stewart had given Leigh's defences a testing before a classic Centurions' counter-attack broke the deadlock. Chris Morley was twice involved in the move that brought Leigh out of their own line and which ended with Simon Baldwin unselfishly sending Mark McCully over for the first of eight tries.

Not long afterwards Leigh chanced their arm by running the ball on the last tackle, Paul Rowley putting Chris Irwin away before his crossfield kick stood up perfectly for Adam Bristow to collect and stride away for his 10th try of the season. Neil Turley, back after a four week injury absence, popped over the first of six goals on his way to a 20-point haul.

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eigh's 10-0 lead was cut by four points when Lynx full-back Chris Ramsdale joined the line and fed Dean Cross for a simple run in.

Leigh were still labouring and only when Rowley took matters into his own hands and stretched over for a try between the posts that they could take a 16-4 lead in for half time.

It was only when Leigh hit something like top attacking form in a six-minute spell just after half time that Chorley's hopes were finally dashed.

A sweet scrum base move, in which Bristow and Willie Swann were heavily involved ended with Paul Anderson getting outside his marker and going in from 15 metres.

Chorley barely had time to draw breath than Leigh were over the whitewash again. Nifty footwork on the sideline by Rowley was finished by the alert Anthony Blackwood who swooped on a loose ball and finished like a veteran. The teenager in only his second appearance at senior level went on to finish with two for the day, three in two brief sub appearances so far.

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nother replacement, Vila Matautia, produced a midfield surge that set up the position from where Leigh were able to score again; Turley linking well to step and swerve his way through and round to the posts.

At 32-4 the game was over as a contest, even more so when Leigh stretched their lead to 38-4 with 15 minutes left when Turley and Andrew Isherwood worked a runaround move that invited Turley to take the return pass and stroll over for another six pointer.

Ten minutes from the end one of the ex-Leigh contingent, Saf Patel, chipped over the top and with Leigh's defences stretched, Chorley moved the ball wide for Liam Jones to get over.

It was Leigh who had the final word two minutes from time when Turley's cute ball was accepted by the eager Blackwood who steamed away for his second.

Match facts

SCORERS: Leigh - Tries: Turley 2 (57, 65); Blackwood 2 (54, 78); McCully (18), Bristow (21), Rowley (30), Anderson (51). Gls: Turley 6 from 8.

Chorley - Tries: Cross (26), Jones (70).

LEIGH: Turley; Ingram, Anderson, McCully, Irwin; Bristow, Swann; Knox, Rowley, Bradbury, Baldwin, Morley, Price. Subs: Isherwood (for Price 34), Hamilton (for Knox 56), Blackwood (for Morley 50), Matautia (for Bradbury 28), Morley (for Matautia 69), Knox (for Baldwin 78).

CHORLEY: Ramsdale; Ormesher, Jones, Cross, Stewart; Close, Gambles; Grundy, Roden, Causey, Smith, Noone, Bloor. Subs: Patel (for Roden 62), Prescott (for Grundy 47), Parry (for Causey 26), Killock (for Stewart HT); Causey (for Parry 66), Stewart (for Cross 73).

PENALTIES CONCEDED: Leigh 8, Chorley 12.

HANDLING ERRORS: Leigh 18, Chorley 9.

REFEREE: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).

ATTENDANCE: 1405.