Following heavy defeats against Salford and more recently Widnes, Centurions boss Darren Shaw had demanded a vast improvement from his side.
And while this performance didn't completely satisfy Shaw, it was at least a step in the right direction against an improving Rams side.
Apart from the first and last 10 minutes, Leigh were in control and the margin of their victory should have been even greater.


Half-backs Dennis Moran and Ian Watson showed the odd glimpse of class while there were busy displays from Aaron Smith and Dave McConnell who shared the hooking responsibilities.
Leigh were also able to call upon the fit-again Toa Kohe-Love after injury kept him out of the game at Widnes, and he along with centre partner Nathan McAvoy regularly troubled the Dewsbury defence.
There was also a debut for reserve grade prop Kyle Neal after some late injury withdrawals – Lee Marsh, Anthony Stewart and Mark Roberts - had forced Shaw to shuffle his pack.


After a nervy start, the groans of discontent could be heard from the Hilton Park faithful who feared a third straight loss. Their mood was not helped when Dewsbury took a 10th minute lead with a penalty from Pat Walker after Centurions were caught offside by referee Jamie Leahy.
Watson saw a try disallowed for obstruction in the 12th minute but moments later, Leigh had their first points on the board. Moran's looping pass found Watson, who in turn put Smith through a gap to touch down. Watson also added the conversion.


Centurions continued to put pressure on the Rams defence and should have scored when breaks from Moran and Kohe-Love gave Mike Wainwright a glimpse of the try-line but he was hauled down just short.
It was one-way traffic from Leigh and they capitalised on their dominance by scoring two unconverted tries in three minutes just before the break. First, a long pass from Moran gave Dave Alstead space to score before a Steve Maden break panicked the Rams defence and two plays later, McAvoy touched down after taking the final pass from Adam Rudd.
Dewsbury made a determined start to the second half as they chased down Leigh's 14-2 interval lead and they forced a drop-out before Chris Langley was denied by some heroic defence.
There was some concern for Leigh when Moran limped off in the 50th minute but thankfully he was to return later.
Having spent most of the second half defending, it was Centurions' turn to apply the pressure with kicks from Watson forcing two drop-outs in quick succession. McConnell was held up over the try-line but moments later he laid on a try for Chris Hill from close range.
Having made one, McConnell then scored one, ghosting in from dummy half with the Dewsbury defence in disarray. Watson added both conversions and Leigh led 26-2.


The Rams finished the game as they had started it, with plenty of possession but offering little attacking threat, clearly missing the injured half-back Dean Lawford. But considering the game had long since been won, credit must go to Leigh for some first class scrambling defence in the closing stages.
Teams
Leigh: Maden, Giles, McAvoy, Kohe-Love, Alstead, Moran, Watson, C Hill, McConnell, Doran, Rudd, Taylor, Smith
Subs: Morrison, Wainwright, J Hill, Neal
Tries: Smith, Alstead, McAvoy, C Hill, McConnell
Goals: Watson 3 (from 5 attempts)

Dewsbury: Field, Colleran, Langley, Bostock, Buchanan, Walker, Finn, Trinder, Chapman, Helm, Robinson, Bretherton, Glassie
Subs: Haigh, Glynn, Rourke, Crawley
Goal: Walker 1 (from 1 attempt)
Referee: Jamie Leahy. Attendance: 1,849