Leigh Centurions 26 - 2 Dewsbury Rams

By Chris Osbaldeston

We’re only three games into the new League season, and already things have a depressingly familiar look about them; at least as far as the injury front is concerned. As if going to Hilton Park wasn’t bad enough without Bryn Powell, Josh Weeden; Dean Lawford; Kane Epati and Dominic Maloney, we also lost Mark Field to a knee injury after only 20 minutes. At that point we were only 6 – 2 down, and Mr. Leahy had just given the worst decision I’ve seen from any referee so far this season. Mind you, it’s early days yet.

As far as this game was concerned, the Rams high spot came around the 7th minute when Patch Walker kicked a simple penalty given for offside at the play the ball. The opening exchanges were fairly even, though Leigh always seemed to have the edge in the halfbacks, and their pressure told around the 15 minute mark when scrum half Ian Watson sent Aaron Smith in for the first try of the game. However the game was still an even one at that stage, and it was no surprise when full back Mark Field cut through for the Rams a few minutes later.

Actually I tell a lie, only the surprise came from Mr. Leahy who disallowed the try for a forward pass that blatantly wasn’t. Sixty seconds later Mark received his injury and, after a long delay for treatment left the field on a stretcher. We’ll know more later, but I wish him all the best. Mark’s been a class act this season, improving with every game in attack as well as defence, and will be sorely missed if he’s out for any length of time.

This double blow seemed to unsettle the Rams, and Leigh are too professional a side to let such an opportunity go begging, and slowly they began to turn the screw. Half an hour in, following an initial thrust out on the left, they quickly switched the ball the other way for right wing Dave Alstead to race over for their second try.

With the half running out, they repeated the trick, this time going the other way. Slick handling going left gave centre Nathan McAvoy the space to finish off the move. Watson’s goal kicking wasn’t on song. If it had been they’d have reached halftime with a bigger lead than 14 – 2. At that point the game could still have gone either way, though for that to happen, the Rams needed to get off to a good start in the 2nd half.

For a while at the beginning of the second half they threatened to do exactly that, only to discover that Leigh were as strong in defence as they were in attack. Regular handling errors didn’t help the cause either, especially as they seemed to crop up whenever we got within 20 metres of the Leigh try line. Our defence was pretty dogged, but by the time Leigh prop Chris Hill forced his way over the line in the 17th minute, they’d been camped on our line for some time. This time Watson did add the conversion.

5 minutes later, lively hooker McConnell went over from acting half and when Watson added that conversion as well, Leigh stretched their lead to 26 – 2, and there it stayed until the final whistle.

The one positive about today’s performance was the Rams willingness to keep fighting until the final whistle. Several times in that last quarter they made inroads into the Leigh defence. Buchanan, Langley and Glynn all made breaks only for the ball to be put to ground at the last.

To be honest it wasn’t the best of games. Leigh were always that bit better than us on the day, and deserved their victory, but neither side will be happy with the errors they made. Add to that the rainstorm that blighted the final minutes, driving the fans back into the stands, and you have a disappointing day. On the other hand, the banter between the two sets of supporters, both on the terraces and in the bar after the game was first rate.

For me, one of the highlights was the legendary Alex Murphy coming round and shaking the hands of every Rams fan in the bar. Now what we wouldn’t give to have him playing for us next week!

The supporters’ bus was full, and reasonably cheerful on the way home, and we’ll be back in Lancashire next week for the Railway Cup game against Rochdale. Given the current injury list, it will be interesting to see what kind of a side we put out for that one.

Teams:- DEWSBURY RAMS :- Mark Field; Tom Colleran; Chris Langley: Andrew Bostock; Austin Buchanan; Pat Walker; Liam Finn; Aaron Trinder; Richard Chapman; Joe Helme; Martin Robinson; Alex Bretherton; Tere Glassie. Subs :- Luke haugh; Ryan Glynn; David Rourke; Liam Crawley.

LEIGH CENTURIONS :- Steve Maden; Chris Giles; Nathan McAvoy; Toa Kohe Love; Dave Alstead; Dennis Moran; Ian Watson; Chris Hill; Dave McConnell; Lee Doran; Adam Rudd; James Taylor; Aaron Smith. Subs :- Mike Morrison; Mike Wainwright; John Hill; Kyle Neal.

Referee :- Mr. J. Leahy. MOM (Leigh) Dave McConnell Att. 1,849.