Swann chases off Lions

Mike Hulme reporting from Hilton Park

THE fans might not think too much of the new Buddies National League Cup but a competition-opening runaway win was just what the doctor ordered for the Centurions.

Just 1500 bothered to turn out for the Good Friday try-fest, the majority clearly deciding the mid-season competition is a meaningless exercise. But with their confidence shaken by successive home defeats, the Centurions needed to prove to themselves that they could still play a bit.

Even allowing for the fact that they were up against the poorest Swinton side for years, Leigh can take a lot of positives from the 11-try mauling they handed out.

With seven regulars missing through injury, the strength and depth of Leigh's squad was tested to the limit.

J

ohn Hamilton, normally a hooker, played stand-off for the first time since his schooldays as Leigh's injury crisis bit deep in key positions while Chris Morley found himself at centre when Paul Anderson joined the sick list after damaging a shoulder.

And with the injury pile-up showing few signs of easing, others will get their chances to show their versatility over the coming weeks.

Coach Paul Terzis praised his team for the way they adapted to new roles and the way they picked themselves up after defeats by Wigan and Huddersfield.

"Considering we've got a lot of injuries at the moment, it just goes to show the depth we've got in our squad and the ability of the players in that squad," he said.

"Those players have now put their hands up to be selected over the coming weeks. We are going to get a lot of positives out of this National League Cup."

One of those positives was the continued excellent form of scrum-half Willie Swann who tormented and teased all afternoon.

"I think Willie would agree that he's currently in the best form he's been in since he came to the club," Terzis acknowledged. "In fact he was so good today that I jokingly told him it might be an idea to hold him in reserve for later in the year!

"Willie puts a lot of hard work into his game both in matches and in training. It's paying dividends for him now."

Swann and his new half back partner Hamilton were the central figures in Leigh's dominant performance.

Terzis had no doubt that Hamilton would cope with the major switch in position. "John's got an accurate passing game, he's got good vision and is a quality little player all round. He took his chance today and made the most of it."

W

ith the sun on their backs and a dry track underfoot, Leigh were able to show their full range of attacking flair. It's probably no coincidence that on the only other dry pitch and warm day they've had this year, Leigh also scored 60 points at Chorley.

Leigh made their intentions clear early on and the re-called David Ingram, marooned on 98 career tries for so long, thought he'd take it to 99 in only the eighth minute but his effort was wiped out because of a forward pass.

But it didn't take Leigh much longer to break Swinton down. Hamilton's cut-out pass sent Simon Baldwin striding clear and when Liam Bretherton loomed up on his inside, Baldwin sent his full-back in for the first of a hat-trick. Emergency goalkicker Mark McCully landed the first of eight shots to make it 6-0.

It was into the second quarter before Leigh's attack clicked into top gear with three more tries coming in six minutes to totally deflate the Lions.

Baldwin's break at the start of an eight-man move ended with Dave Whittle steam onto a short ball and going in to make it 12-0. Swann's delayed pass released Bretherton who drew the full-back and put Adam Bristow over. Rob Ball and Bristow laid on the next, Swann wrestling his way through a couple of defenders to touchdown for a 24-0 lead.

Swinton had barely seen Leigh's 20 metre zone let alone the tryline when they were suddenly gifted four points. Bretherton's long pass was intercepted by winger Jason Roach who put his head back and sprinted 70 metres to the corner.

Leigh were quickly out of the blocks in the second half, adding another try inside two minutes. Gareth Price's neat pass on half way put Ball in open space with the supporting Andy Isherwood crossing from five metres.

L

eigh clearly intended making the most of their good form, scoring six more tries in the final half hour.

Swann and Hamilton midfield trickery, Baldwin's strength on the left, set up Bretherton for his second.

Six minutes later Swann scored the best of the match. Drifting across the line, the scrum-half teased and tormented until spotting a gap and exploding through on the arc for a try at the corner.

Leigh's ability to keep the ball alive in the tackle brought a touchdown for Dave Bradbury while Hamilton and Whittle prised the Lions open again for Paul Rowley to burrow through.

When Swann sailed clean through again, prop Simon Knox showed a nifty turn of speed to get up in support and race clear for his first try in Leigh colours.

Just a minute from time Bretherton popped up on the left wing to complete his first hat-trick for the Centurions.

Match Facts.

SCORERS: Leigh-Tries: Bretherton (10, 50, 79); Swann (27, 56); Whittle (21), Bristow (24); Isherwood (42); Bradbury (67); Rowley (72); Knox (75). Gls: McCully 8 from 11.

Swinton-Try: Roach (39). Gls: Wingfield 0 from 1.

LEIGH: Bretherton; Ingram, Anderson, McCully, Andrews; Hamilton, Swann; Knox, Rowley, Whittle, Baldwin, Isherwood, Bristow. Subs: Price (for Whittle 24), Ball (for Knox 24), Morley (for Anderson HT), Bradbury (for Isherwood 54), Isherwood (for Morley BB 60 BBR 66), Whittle (for Bristow 66), Knox (for Baldwin 68).

SWINTON: Hughes; Roach, Thorpe, Russell, Mead; Gallagher, Fitzpatrick; Leathem, Barraclough, Hansen, Cushion, Shea, Holdstock. Subs: Butler (for Barraclough BB7, BBR 13), Newall (for Holdstock 24), Chambers (for Leathem 51), Wingfield (for Shea 29), Butler (for Russell 57), Russell (for Hughes 66).

SIN-BIN: Chambers (Swinton, holding down 59).

PENALTIES CONCEDED: Leigh 6, Swinton 14.

HANDLING ERRORS: Leigh 13, Swinton 6.

REFEREE: Nick Oddy (Halifax).

ATTENDANCE: 1531.

man of the match

rA COUPLE of contenders such as Hamilton, Rowley and Baldwin but for creativity and a high workrate, Willie Swann must has silenced a few of his critics.

moan of the match

rTHE funereal atmosphere created by a sparse crowd. It had all the feeling of a pre-season trail but without the endless substitutions.

Magic moment

rTHE second of Willie Swann's tries. Who said this bloke wasn't a creative half-back. His second half try had all the hallmark and class of anything Shaun Edwards or Andy Gregory ever scored.