DOUBLE act Anthony Murray and Andy Fairclough are back with a bang - and showing Leigh just what they've been missing for the past few weeks.

Murray, back after a three-match ban, and Fairclough - fit again after missing seven games with a shoulder injury - were the inspirations as Leigh came within a whisker of taking the outright leadership of the Northern Ford Premiership.

Hooker Murray led poor Oldham a merry dance in Sunday's 66-6 romp, scoring three tries himself and helping set up half a dozen more as Leigh piled on the points.

And loose-forward Fairclough slotted neatly straight back into the action, collected two tries and again proved he is the best link player Leigh have between backs and forwards.

Overall, Leigh were as good as their word. "We set ourselves two targets," revealed coach Ian Millward. "We wanted to restrict them to no more than six points and for us to score as many points as possible. I think 66 is a fair total; I'm sure the England cricket team would like to get as many runs!

"Oldham are not a good side, but we did a professional job, especially in the second half when we really stepped up a gear."

Leigh had the match in their pockets by half-time with a commanding 28-0 lead. But only after the break did they they really turn it on to take their tries tally to 12 in the match and give their points difference a real boost.

Oldham might feel aggrieved at the one-sided penalty count of 9-2 but really they were their own worst enemies with any number of cheap shots doing them no credit.

It took Leigh 11 minutes to open the floodgates - but when they did the points came in torrents.

Fittingly, Murray started the avalanche, sprinting out of dummy-half and scoring from 40 metres for Paul Wingfield to add on the extras.

Oldham were restricted to a few fleeting attacks but one of them brought out the tackle of the day, Leigh full-back Stuart Donlan turning and catching Adie Meade in astonishing fashion.

After that it was all Leigh. Jamie Kennedy spun out of three half-hearted tackles to collect the second TD; Wingfield seized on an Oldham error after Ken Kerr had trickled a kick to the corner; Fairclough muscled his way over for another and in stoppage time subs Dave Ingram and Paul Norman laid on Murray's second try.

With Danny Webster sin-binned for dissent, Leigh really made Oldham pay for being a man short, scoring three more tries in the opening nine minutes of the second half.

Phil Kendrick crossed twice to pass 100 points for the season, and some intelligent play by the impressive Kerr sent Fairclough in for his second.

By now Leigh were in cruise control and virtually scoring at will. Kennedy and Street had been withdrawn to save them for the battles ahead. But there was no letting up.

Kerr got his reward when Kieron Purtill's clever play set him up for a try, then the Aussie's long break laid on Murray's third. Ingram went clear to send in the supporting Donlan and Mick Higham finished it off, Wingfield adding his ninth goal.

LEIGH: Donlan; Wingfield, Kendrick, Kerr, Halliwell; Arkwright, Purtill; Street, Murray, Whittle, Cruickshank, Kennedy, Fairclough. Subs: Pucill, Ingram, Norman, Higham. Attendance: 1,691.

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