Skirlaugh 31, Leigh East 16: THERE was no change to Leigh East's terrible away form at the weekend as they stuttered and stumbled their way to a defeat against Skirlaugh.

With Skirlaugh languishing at the foot of the National Conference Premier table East were favourites to pick up the points from the out of sorts Humberside outfit. Yet incredibly the same squad which played so superbly the previous week against Siddal never managed to find any rhythm or cohesion as they slumped to their worst performance of the season.

Skirlaugh were nothing but an ordinary side playing basic uneventful rugby. Beating them should have presented few problems to a side of East's ability. But with very little possession - and with what little they had squandered by errors and a lack of creativity - East were back-pedalling from the outset.

Taylor, Kilshaw, Greenough, Hayes and Clark worked their socks off only to see their hard work undone by defensive blunders. But why on earth potential match winners like Woods, Graham and Wingfield were starved of possession is anyone's guess.

By the 28th minute East trailed 12-0 having scarcely touched the ball. The first four points came from two penalty, the second four from unconverted tries. Then strong running from Wingfield took East close to the line for only the second time and after the powerful centre had been tackled inches short Paul Hayes completed the move with a try goaled by Woods.

Then, almost on half time, second rower Starkie ran out wide, offloaded to Woods and the lethal finisher raced 60 yards for the line, adding the goal to make it all square at the interval.

East should have at last have begun to realise that the potential was there for their first away win of the season. Instead came a second half collapse as Skirlaugh went on to score three more tries, three goals and a drop goal before Gary Greenough, who had worked so hard without reward, scored for the visitors in injury time.