Centurions set the record straight

Still smarting after a shock 12-10 defeat in May, the Centurions set the record straight in no uncertain terms.

Using the Boundary Park upset as their motivation, Leigh showed the sort of qualities they are going to need more and more as the season reaches the business end.

When it all comes together - as it did this week - there is no better attacking team in the division. And when they show the level of defensive commitment that restricts opposing teams to just one shot at goal, they are going to be tough to beat.

While Leigh scored some fine tries against a decent side, it was their attitude in defence that really impressed.

Admittedly they had a couple of close shaves early on, but after that they never looked like being broken despite everything that Oldham could throw at them. If any evidence of their determination were needed it came from Dale Cardoza and Damian Munro who chased back and overhauled Gareth Barber after the Oldham sub had broken clear from his own '20'.

"You have to feel sorry for Barber in a way," Terzis admitted. "He probably thought he'd scored there, but didn't account for our commitment in defence, even at that stage of the game.

"We were very disappointed to have lost their in May and we wanted revenge - but we wanted to go the right way in getting it."

There wasn't an area on the pitch or element of play that Leigh were second best - and it showed on the scoreboard.

Now he's found his feet, Tommy Martyn is starting to pull the midfield strings and bring the best out of those around him.

Second rower Bryan Henare had a top game against his former club and playing against his hometown team clearly motivated Munro to a man of the match effort. There were also big perfromances from new duo Ricky Bibey and Danny Halliwell while old hands Paul Rowley and Adam Bristow repeated their usual high standards.

Ryan Stazicker had already bombed one Oldham chance before Simon Svabic kicked the visitors into a sixth minute lead with a penalty.

Neil Roden ruined another Oldham chance with a wild forward pass to the unmarked Joe McNicholas before Bristow had the ball illegally stripped and Turley made it 2-2.

Leigh never looked back from that moment and gradually built the pressure until their first success came in the 16th minute. Henare's angled run through a hold in the defence was supported by the eager Munro and his perfect pass sent Turley clean through for the 99th try of his Leigh career. Turley's easy conversion made it 8-2.

With player/coach Steve Molloy on report for a punch that put Dave Bradbury on his backside, Oldham fell further behind when Munro's long break set up the position for Turley to drill a kick into the defensive line. When a defender fumbled, he kicked on again and Martyn beat a posse of attackers to claim the scoring touch. Turley's goal made it 14-2.

Munro had a try disallowed for a forward pass off Martyn before Turley's footwork caused confusion in the Oldham defence. John Duffy was illegally yanked away from a supporting position but Turley's pass found Martyn and he had a clear run to the line for a 20-2 half time lead.

Oldham's growing frustrations surfaced again early in the second half when Paul Anderson became the first of three sin-binnings for interference at the play-the-ball.

Leigh almost made their extra man count but Duffy lost the ball on the line as he lunged for a try, Turley hit the woodwork with a long range penalty shot and Hadcroft had a try wiped out for a forward pass from Henare.

No sooner had Anderson returned from the bin, than he was replaced by Rowley. Ironically this time 12-man Leigh did manage to score. Munro plucked Barber's high bomb out of thin air and was out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter - 100 metres later he had outpaced the pursuing Will Cowell and crossed for his 27 try of a productive season. Turley's accuracy brought him another conversion for a 26-2 lead.

Even with the match firmly in their pockets, Leigh were far from done.

Just after the hour sub Duffy capped a cameo performance by drifting across the Oldham defensive line before exploding through a gap for a try that dead-eye Turley turned into a six pointer from wide on the left.

The rounding up of Barber by Cardoza and Munro lit up the final 10 minutes although Munro did get a yellow for delaying the resulting ruck.

When Leigh struck again from distance Oldham were completely mesmerised. Weisner started and finished a left flank raid that involved Cardoza and Hadcroft to give Turley his seventh goal from eight shots.

SCORERS - Leigh: Tries - Turley (16), Martyn (23, 38), Munro (58), Duffy (66), Weisner (77). Gls: Turley 7/8.

Oldham: Gl: Svabic 1/1.

LEIGH: Turley; Rivett, Hadcroft, Halliwell, Munro; Weisner, Martyn; Norman, Rowley, Bradbury, Richardson, Henare, Bristow. Subs (all used): Ball, Cardoza, Duffy, Bibey.

OLDHAM: Dodd; Cowell, Johnson, Doran, McNicholas; Svabic, Roden; Molloy, Shaw, Morgan, Morley, Stazicker, Farrell. Subs (all used): Barber, McLoughlin, Anderson, Guest.

Handling errors: Leigh 9, Oldham 7.

Penalties conceded: Leigh 7, Oldham 12.

Half time: 20-2.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley).

Attendance: 2287.

Man

rNUMEROUS contenders from a top class team effort but it's got to be Munro whose 100 metre solo try followed by an incredible chase back to stop Barber epitomised Leigh's overall commitment to the cause.

Magic

rCARDOZA and Munro rescuing a lost cause when for all the world it seemed like Barber would score.

Moan

rMOLLOY'S punch on Bradbury. Referee Ronnie Laughton was close enough to have felt the draught, yet only placed the incident on report.