Doing it tough!

Oldham...15

THE Centurions must take a leaf out of Dewsbury's book if they are to fulfil their Grand Final dream.

Last year the Rams lost their Preliminary Semi-Final home tie - ironically to Leigh - before going on to reach, and ultimately win, the Grand Final. Now the Centurions must follow the same route.

But the 'dream' Leigh v Widnes final now can't happen with the Centurions on course for a Major Semi-Final showdown with the Vikings at Hilton Park if they can overcome Featherstone in this Sunday's Minor Semi-Final.

Leigh are thanking their lucky stars that they romped away with the league title to give them the play-off 'safety net'. Fortunately they've now got a second chance to put right Sunday's wrongs.

But there can be no more slip-ups. Their whole season is on the line over the next couple of weeks. It's straight knockout all the way.

Leigh know that they are capable of far better than this, but the one aspect they must improve considerably is their ball retention. A 50 per cent completion rate - as was Sunday's horror figure - won't win any match, let alone a major tie.

Oldham stuck rigidly to a game plan devised by the wily Mike Ford. They were quickly up off their defensive line to check Leigh's trademark flowing game, kicked to perfection and had it now been for a fumble or two, might have won by a greater margin.

Although Leigh outscored Oldham by three tries to two, some of their major strike players didn't come up to scratch and it was only when John Duffy and Willie Swann were introduced that the attacking options improved. Leigh tended to play too much one-out stuff, yet that might have been sufficient had they not spilled so much possession.

Few would argue that this was probably Leigh's worst home performance for months - yet two contentious decisions could have cost them victory.

Referee Colin Morris won't be on Leigh's Christmas card list. Of Leigh's four defeats this season, Mr Morris has handled two of them.

The first of two major turning points came just before half time when Dave Bradbury was put clean through just 15 metres from the Oldham posts. What looked a certain try was halted by Leo Casey's outstretched leg. The 'trip' halted Bradbury in full flow, resulting in the prop losing the ball.

"I was unsighted," Mr Morris said later. "None of the other officials had a clear view of it either, so we had little alternative to put the matter on report and see what the video shows. Because I was unsure if a foul had been committed, the only way I could restart play was by awarding Oldham head and feed at the scrum as the Leigh player knocked on."

A converted try then, or even a penalty, would have changed the final outcome.

Mr Morris upset Leigh again on the hour when Dave Whittle smashed his way over from Duffy's short ball. But the referee ruled that the prop lost control as he touched down. Another 50-50 decision that went Oldham's way.

But overall Leigh can't have any real complaints that their 15-month unbeaten home record came to an end.

Oldham made their intentions clear by ripping into Leigh right from the start and they took the lead in the 10th minute when Tim Street gave Ford a dig in a tackle and Pat Rich knocked over the gift two points.

When Street lost possession, Leigh were back under pressure. they looked to have held out until, on the last tackle, hooker Keith Brennan knocked over a one-pointer for a 3-0 lead.

Bradbury's thundering break up the middle should have brought a better result than a Bristow knock-on. It was going to be one of those days.

Things went from bad to worse when, in the 28th minute, Oldham got Joey Hayes away on the outside of Alan Hadcroft and it took a determined chase from the Leigh winger to prevent a try. But as Neil Turley slid in to help, he was pulled up for lying on too long and was sin-binned.

Leigh were desperately trying to re-group when sub hooker John Hough squirmed out of a couple of tackles to flop over for a trademark try. Rich added the extras for a 9-0 half time lead.

Leigh needed a spark of inspiration from somewhere and it was Turley who provided it.

Hoisting a high kick into the swirling wind, Turley followed up and took advantage of the ensuing confusion by re-gathering and holding off Mark Sibson for a try at the right corner.

But Leigh slipped up again when Hadcroft saw the ball dislodged in a tackle on his own 20 metre line, was then pulled up for dissent and saw Rich kick Oldham into an 11-4 lead.

Two Leigh tries in 10 minutes threatened to turn the game on it's head as the Centurions suddenly found themselves 14-11 up.

Quick thinking from Andy Fairclough saw the centre take a tap penalty while Oldham were still debating the point, launching the attack that ended with Paul Anderson forcing his way over. Oldham, furious about something, found themselves down to 12 with Ford sent to the bin for dissent.

When Duffy launched another bomb and Michael Watts cashed in on the confusion to dive in for a six-pointer, Leigh must have thought they'd turned it round.

But within two minutes Oldham had come up with the match-winning score, Sibson bursting through one tackle and just squeezing in at the corner before the cover came across.

LEIGH: Turley; Hadcroft, Anderson, Fairclough, Watts; Svabic, Bretherton; Street, Hamilton, Bradbury, Baldwin, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Whittle (for Street 25), Swann (for Bretherton 55), Duffy (for Hamilton 31), Leathem (for Bradbury HT), Hamilton (for Duffy 64), Bradbury (for Whittle 66), Street (for Leathem 71).

OLDHAM: Sibson; Hayes, Gibbons, Rich, McNicholas; Roden, Ford; Casey, Brennan, Norton, Farrell P, Henare, Mannion. Subs: Hough (for Brennan 26), Clegg (for Casey BB 9, BBR 21), Farrell C (for Henare BB 3, BBR 8); Guest (for Casey 45), Clegg (for Norton 49), Norton (for Guest 70), Brennan (for Hough 74).

SCORERS: Leigh - Tries: Turley, Anderson, Watts. Gl: Svabic. Oldham - Tries: Hough, Sibson. Gls: Rich (3), Brennan fg.

PENALTIES FOR: Leigh 8, Oldham 6.

SCRUMS WON: Leigh 4, Oldham 9.

SIN-BIN: Turley (Leigh) holding down; Ford (Oldham dissent).

ON REPORT: Casey (Oldham) - Tripping.

REFEREE: Colin Morris (Huddersfield)

ATTENDANCE: 3436.