LEIGH have stepped right into a horror story. And the torment just won't go away...for frantic coach Ian Lucas, for a stricken squad, for long-suffering fans.

Three successive defeats and 18 tries conceded, 16 in the two Easter games alone, adds up to something Edgar Allan Poe might have dreamed up for his worst nightmare.

Leigh appear to have forgotten how to defend. And, on Easter Monday, grateful Carlisle were happy to make the most of their generosity in a 42-34 win.

Seven times the Cumbrians punished Leigh's alarmingly-ineffective defence; seven more nails in the promotion coffin.

Scrum-half Chris Wilkinson is just one who can't put his finger on the problem.

"We've not become a bad side overnight," he rapped. "The new players in the team will take time to gel - but that's no excuse for what's happening in defence.

"We're all the blame. We're just not communicating to each other."

Leigh certainly need to do some talking. And this week there must be a good deal of soul searching. A summer season that promised so much is in danger of being as good as over inside the first month!

Within 16 minutes at Carlisle the home side had thundered to an 18-2 lead.

Amazingly, Leigh, with the ball in their hands, were a different proposition. They repeatedly opened the mean Carlisle defence and hit back with two quickfire tries from Alan Hadcroft - a tremendous solo try from 25 metres - and Alan Mason, Wilkinson hitting three goals.

But Leigh shot themselves in the foot again, presenting Carlisle with more easy points.

Everytime Leigh gave themselves a chance, they let it go at the other end.

David Lyon's 42nd minute try was wiped out; Mason and Lyon's clever work brought Alex Cain a try quickly matched by Carlisle; David Hill's try, off John Perigo, was cancelled by another home touchdown.

By the time David Ingram had snatched Leigh's sixth try in the final minute Carlisle were already home and dry.

LEIGH: O'Loughlin; Hill, Hadcroft, Veikoso, Burgess (Ingram 35); Mason (Jukes 69), Wilkinson; Street, Bannister, Stazicker (Cain 30), Daniel (Perigo 23), Ball, Lyon. Att: 650.

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