DEMOTED Super League referee Colin Morris and his touchjudge smoothed Leigh's passage through to the quarter-finals of the Premiership Play-offs.

Together they awarded Leigh a controversial try six minutes from time to halt Rochdale's rally in its tracks.

Leigh had seen a healthy 26-10 lead whittled away to a nervous two-point advantage when the ref and his co-official confirmed a Paul Daniel touchdown after Chris Wilkinson appeared to drop possession.

Wilkinson's touchline goal put Leigh back in the driving seat. And, even though Steve Gartland came up with an injury-time try, Leigh were through at 33-30.

Keith Latham's men knew they had ridden their luck, especially in the middle of Hornets' second-half onslaught. But the coach refused to let the debatable try take any shine of his side's performance.

"Give credit where it's due," he snapped. "Rochdale played some class stuff in the second half and it took a great deal of character to pick ourselves up and secure the win.

"It's been a tremendous effort from these lads to qualify from such a tough group. But there's not much left in the tank."

Battle-weary Leigh will take things easy this week as they prepare for Sunday's home quarter-final against another Division One side, Whitehaven.

"It's been a punishing play-off schedule," added Latham. "But no matter what happens from now on, the team has done me and the town proud."

Leigh needed all their fighting qualities as they came back from 8-2 down to take the game by the scruff of the neck with four tries in a devastating spell.

Try poacher David Ingram turned try maker when his long break set up Safraz Patel; Patel and David Hill combined in front of the posts for Tau Liku to charge over; Jason O'Loughlin cleverly sent the alert Ingram over; and John Gunning and Andy Fairclough broke Hornets again in stoppage time by creating a try for Mark Sarsfield.

Wilkinson was able to improve only one try, but Leigh led 22-10 at the break with Gartland adding three goals to Steve Cameron's try.

The match seemed all over bar the shouting when Sarsfield sent Fairclough scooting over.

Even though Hornets had skipper Richard Pachniuk sent off for punching Patel, the home side hit back with two tries from Martin Bunce which had Leigh rocking at 26-24.

But Daniel's dubious try restored normal service and Gunning's late drop goal nosed Leigh further in the clear before Gartland's late fling in the fourth minute of injury time.

LEIGH: O'Loughlin; Ingram, Hill, Fairclough, Sarsfield; Patel, Wilkinson; Conway, Jenkins, Pucill, Daniel, Liku, Gunning. Subs: Smith, Gibson, Donlan, Hudspith. Attendance: 1,423.

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