Oldham 18 Leigh Centurions 44 ON a frozen pitch and on a freezing day, the Centurions turned up the heat on the rest of the Northern Ford Premiership.

Six wins on the bounce and the only team with a 100 per cent record in the NFP, Leigh outclassed another of their major rivals with a display of awesome power and clinical finishing.

Previously unbeaten Oldham never really recovered from Leigh's lightning start which brought them 10 points in the first eight minutes although they did hint at a comeback midway through the second half with a burst of 12 points in three minutes.

But this Leigh side has tremendous resolve. They picked themselves up off the ropes and took Oldham to the cleaners with three more tries in the final quarter.

Even the disappointment of seeing prop Tim Street red-carded in the first half didn't spoil Leigh's day. They had more power and penetration in their pack; had a modified triangle of Simon Svabic, Liam Bretherton and Adam Bristow on top of their game and out wide had the destructive running of Simon Baldwin. Then there was Neil Turley again. A quiet game from the full-back - only one try, one goal, a hand in two other touchdowns and a try-saver to stop Danny Arnold in his tracks!

It was all too much for Oldham.

Indeed Leigh's biggest problem was their indiscipline. Before and after Street was sent off along with Oldham centre Anthony Gibbons after a touchline flare-up, the Centurions waged a running war of words with referee Nick Oddy. The Halifax official caned Leigh with nine penalties in the first half alone.

But once Leigh had let their football do the talking, they had the game well under control.

Leigh showed they meant business right from the start as Chris Morley KO'd winger Daryl Lacey with his first drive. Five tackles later Aussie winger Michael Watts made the first of many telling contributions on his senior debut by hoisting a massive crossfield bomb that Turley picked up on the bounce to go in for his 11th try of the season.

Ahead 4-0 inside 90 seconds, Leigh made the most of their quick-fire start and increased their lead to 10-0 when Svabic started and finished a fine move. The stand-off's long pass released Baldwin before racing up in support to take the return pass and slide in. Svabic added the first of five goals. Oldham reduced the arrears in the 19th minute amid the confusion of the double dismissal of Street and Gibbons. John Hough's quickly taken tap penalty foxed the Leigh defence and Arnold muscled his way over at the corner flag.

Watts and Dave Jones worked overtime in defence as Oldham turned the screw but Leigh's defence held firm before the Centruions sprung a classic counter-attack that saw Turley make the extra man in the line to enable Bretherton to give Paul Anderson a scoring pass.

That took the wind completely out of Oldham's sails and a half time lead of 14-6 was all the encouragement Leigh needed to go on and finish the job in the first quarter of the second period.

Svabic's 40/20 touchfinder put Leigh in an excellent field position. They didn't waste it as Turley again linked up to get Andy Fairclough in.

Seven minutes later impressive hooker John Hamilton showed he knows where the line is by scooting out of dummy half and plunging in for a third try in successive matches. Svabic's goal put Leigh 24-6 up.

They were made to sweat a little as Oldham rocked them with two tries in three minutes from Hough and Mark Sibson, both goaled by Pat Rich. Not for the first time Leigh burst Oldham's bubble with a try. The crucial score came on 66 minutes and fittingly it came from an Oldham old boy. Dave Bradbury, fresh off the bench, collected John Duffy's pass and scattered the cover for a six-pointer under the posts. Game over.

The final nine minutes saw Leigh really rub it in. Svabic knocked over an easy penalty before Duffy again played a key role in the build-up that saw Baldwin slide a kick through for Fairclough to grab his second try.

In the final seconds Oldham player-coach Mike Ford coughed up possession, Fairclough was on it in a flash and Watts showed blinding pace to score under the posts from 30 metres out. Turley added the extras. LEIGH: Turley; Watts, Anderson, Fairclough, Jones; Svabic, Bretherton; Street, Hamilton, Bradbury, Baldwin, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Whittle (for Bradbury 22 BB), Kendrick (for Morley 25), Leathem (for Bradbury 51), Duffy (for Hamilton 53), Bradbury (for Whittle 51), Morley (for Kendrick 66), Hamilton (for Svabic 77).

OLDHAM: Sibson; Arnold, Gibbons A, Rich, Lacey; Gibbons D, Roden; Proctor, Hough, Casey, Farrell, Norton, Mannion. Subs: Ford (for Lacey BB 1, rev 15), Clegg (for Casey 25), Guest (for Proctor 47), Sinfield (for Clegg 65), Ford (for Lacey 47), Casey (for Guest 65), Proctor (for Norton 72).

SCORERS: Leigh - Tries: Fairclough (2), Svabic, Turley, Anderson, Hamilton, Bradbury, Watts. Gls: Svabic (5), Turley.

Oldham - Tries: Arnold, Hough, Sibson. Gls: Rich (3).

PENALTIES CONCEDED: Leigh 13, Oldham 6.

SCRUMS WON: Leigh 13, Oldham 10.

DISMISSALS: Street (Leigh) use of knees; A.Gibbons (Oldham) retaliation.

REFEREE: Nick Oddy (Halifax).

ATTENDANCE: 4747.