Centurions...52, Whitehaven...24

Mike Hulme reports from Hilton Park

HALF time couldn't come quick enough for Paul Terzis. Less than an hour later he didn't want it to end.

The Centurions showed both sides of their make-up as they served up agony and ecstasy in equal doses.

Stunned by Whitehaven's first half salvo of four tries, Terzis couldn't get his side into the dressing rooms quick enough at half time. Whatever he said, he should take out a patent and bottle it because Leigh came out a totally transformed bunch.

They did get some assistance from Whitehaven who fell apart after half time, doubtless leg weary after a third away game in eight days. But few teams could have lived with Leigh in a near perfect second 40 minutes.

But overall this one match mirrored Leigh's season - magnificent one minute, slack and sloppy the next.

Keen to lay their Whitehaven bogey to rest - they've been beaten twice by the Cumbrians this season - Leigh were out of the blocks quicker than an Olympic sprinter and had 12 points on the board inside four minutes.

But they then went through the horrors, cheaply turning over possession and leaking tries like a sieve. Hilton Park watched in stunned silence as Whitehaven scored four tries in 24 minutes to open an astonishing 24-12 lead.

Adam Bristow's 39th minute try gave them a glimmer of hope but coach Terzis admitted: "I couldn't wait for half time to come. I needed to address a few things.

"There was no sense of panic but we needed to put into practice what we'd worked on all week. We needed to control the ball better and cut down their threat players.

"We then came out and won the second half 32-0 so that says something about the players' character."

Perhaps it was Leigh's lightning start that lulled them into a false sense of security.

They scored inside 96 seconds when Simon Baldwin put winger Mark McCully in at the corner and followed it up moments later after seizing on a Whitehaven mistake. Bristow spotted a big hole in the 'Haven defence and his pass invited Phil Kendrick to rush through and sprint 80 metres to the try line. Neil Turley added both conversions and a routine landslide victory looked on the cards.

But while Leigh were resting on their laurels, the Cumbrians stung them with two tries in three minutes. Mark Wallace walked in untouched at the corner and Ryan Campbell crashed over on the opposite flank as Leigh's defence dozed in the sun. Steve Kirkbride added two difficult conversions to lock the game up at 12-12.

Things went from bad to worse as loose-forward Peter Lupton - on loan from London Broncos - threatened to win the game single-handed. He was heavily involved in both Whitehaven moves that ended with Leigh Smith crossing twice in 12 minutes to open up an improbable 24-12 lead.

The most important of Leigh's nine tries came seconds before the break, Bristow diving in from Paul Rowley's deft pass. Turley's conversion made it 18-24 and gave Leigh a lifeline.

It was the 'real' Leigh that turned up to play in the second half. They were fluent and incisive in attack and effectively plugged the defensive gaps that had blighted the first 40.

Eighteen minutes after the re-start and Leigh had not only overturned the deficit but sneaked into a 28-24 lead with the first of Andy Isherwood's four tries and a conversion and two penalties from Turley.

Whitehaven were starting to wilt under the onslaught as John Duffy and Bristow pulled the strings in midfield.

Between the 53rd and 80th minutes Leigh doubled their score, five tries coming in the last quarter.

Duffy's dummy and break put a second try on a plate for Isherwood and with the Leigh pack making considerable headway, another try quickly followed from Jon Roper.

"That was one of the key elements," Terzis added. "In the first half we were trying to go wide without going forward first. You only get success in this game when you go forward before going wide.

"Once we'd got that right we were a joy to watch. I didn't want it to end."

Three more touchdowns came in the last seven minutes. Two went to the rampant Isherwood, the final one a classy solo effort, with Duffy providing Turley with his customary touchdown.

Match facts

SCORERS - Leigh: Tries - Isherwood (44, 60, 73, 79); McCully (2), Kendrick (4), Bristow (39), Roper (65), Turley (76). Gls: Turley 8/11.

Whitehaven: Tries: Smith (19, 31), Wallace (7), Campbell (9). Gls: Kirkbride 4/4.

Leigh: Turley; Irwin, Kendrick, Roper, McCully; Svabic, Duffy; Knox, Rowley, Whittle, Baldwin, Bristow, Highton. Subs: Anderson (for Kendrick BB 16, BBR 28), Ball (for Knox 21), Marns (for McCully 50), Isherwood (for Highton 28), Anderson (for Whittle 66), Highton (for Rowley 71), Knox (for Ball HT).

Whitehaven: O'Neil; Wallace, Jackson R, Hill, Smith; Kiddie, Kirkbride; Stevens, Jackson M, Vaughan, Miller, Campbell R, Lupton. Subs: Campbell C (for Smith BB 33, BBR 46), King (for Stevens 78), Burgess (for Cunningham 63), Cunningham (for Vaughan 23), Vaughan (for Stevens BB 31, BBR 40).

Penalties conceded: Leigh 7, Whitehaven 11.

Handling errors: Leigh 14, Whitehaven 8.

Referee: Mike Dawber (Wigan).

Attendance: 1801.

Man of the match

rSHOULD be man of the half match really! Andy Isherwood stepped off the bench and ripped Whitehaven apart with a four-try blast.

Moan of the match

rTHE appalling period in the first half when Leigh couldn't tackle a good dinner let alone an opposition player.

Magic moment

rANDY Isherwood emerging from a huddle of his teammates with a beaming smile. His fourth try was all his own handiwork and was something special.