LEIGH are emerging as the surprise package in the divisional play-offs.

They have put behind them the disappointment of missing out on promotion and look like having a big say in who goes into the quarter-finals.

And they are certainly not the easy beats of the Lancashire Pool.

Sunday's last-gasp 16-14 victory against Widnes gives them a good chance of qualification, especially with four of the last six games at home.

Determination shone through against Widnes who held a 14-8 lead with less than five minutes left.

Not that Leigh deserved to be behind at that stage. They had already scored two tries and made enough openings to win two matches...but they couldn't provide the finishing touch and were staring at a second successive defeat.

Then they were given a helping hand with a couple of home clangers. Five minutes from time David Myers was penalised for holding down in the tackle and Leigh launched the attack that saw Alan Hadcroft stride in for a try.

Minutes later Sean Richardson knocked on when he tried to collect a Leigh kick-through and Andy Pucill ploughed over for the winning TD.

Had Dean Purtill and Chris Wilkinson been in kicking form, Leigh's victory would have been more clear-cut as they outscored their rivals four tries to two.

The half-back combination of Safraz Patel and Wilkinson formed a threatening scrum-base with emergency loose-forward John Gunning; Hadcroft ran forcefully in the centres and kept the dangerous Jamie Bloem quiet in defence, while Tau Liku revelled in the responsibility of playing a full game and worked himself to a standstill.

Leigh were ahead in the fourth minute when David Ingram scampered in at the corner. Widnes quickly hit back - but no worries.

Gunning dived in from dummy-half to restore the lead. But back again came Widnes, stretching the advantage to 14-8.

But Leigh simply refused to accept defeat.

LEIGH: O'Loughlin; Ingram, Hadcroft, Hill, Purtill; Patel, Wilkinson; Street, Jenkins, Pucill, Daniel, Liku, Gunning. Subs: Aspinall (Ingram 65), Hudspith (Jenkins 74), Miller, Macaree.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.