IAN MILLWARD proudly stood on the Barrow touchline as his team enjoyed the applause of the travelling fans.

Not for 12 years have Leigh won an away match in the Challenge Cup - and Millward wanted the fans to know they were appreciated.

"The players always go to applaud the fans after every game, but this was special," said the Leigh coach. "I went across as well because we are all in this together - coaches, players and fans.

"They can see the improvement in the team week by week. And, when we do manage to put it all together for 80 minutes, some team is going to suffer."

Leigh shrugged off all their injury worries for a thumping 33-16 win, re-kindling memories of March 1987 . . . and that year they went on to make the semi-final!

"The players have climbed a big mental mountain," added Millward. "Last year they went the first seven games without a win and all season without a sniff away from home. Now they've won four and drawn one.

"That result and performance will only benefit their confidence for the more difficult games that lie ahead. It will especially help the younger lads who came in because of the injury situation. They've had a taste now and will want more."

Leigh's game plan of hitting Barrow hard and early worked a treat as they raced into a 16-0 lead in as many minutes.

Anthony Murray and Andy Fairclough unlocked the defence to get Tau Liku over after just 90 seconds. Then David Ingram scored twice in two minutes, the second a quality team try covering half the length of the pitch. Two goals from Phil Kendrick and Leigh had an iron grip on the game.

Barrow then had Leigh under the cosh, hitting back to 16-10. "It could have gone either way," said Millward. "Stand and fight or surrender! I'm proud to say the boys toughed it out and won comfortably."

The clincher came in the 56th minute when full-back Stuart Donlan, who had a hand in two of Leigh's first three tries, broke down the right and fed Saf Patel who had the simple task of drawing the cover before releasing the impressive Alan Hadcroft on a 40 metre sprint to the line.

Kendrick added the extras and soon afterwards potted a field goal to make it 23-10.

Donlan went on to collect a try himself after he won a race to a loose ball over the Barrow line and 10 minutes from time Fairclough got round the outside of the cover at the end of an eight-man crossfield move.

Leigh did blot their copybook in stoppage time when they let Barrow full-back Stewart Magorian over in the corner for a six-pointer.

LEIGH: Donlan; Ingram, Purtill, Kendrick, Hadcroft; Patel, Murray; Street, Jenkins, Whittle, Liku, Costello, Fairclough. Subs: Higham, Platt, Parr, C Wingfield. Attendance: 1,485.

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