Leigh Centurions gave caretaker Head Coach, Paul Rowley a winning start with this excellent success at Sheffield Eagles.
The Don Valley stadium has often proved a graveyard for Leigh's ambition in the past, but a strong second half showing from a new look Leigh line-up was more than enough to grab the win and move the Centurions up the table.
Rowley switched Dennis Moran to full back , a position that he had occupied in devastating fashion when with London Broncos and Wigan initially, and it paid dividends as the Australians running for the deep created all sorts of havoc in the Eagles defence. With a Ian Watson and Lee Marsh combining well at half back and Jimmy Taylor., Lee Doran and Dave McConnell the pick of the pack, the Centurions were full value for a victory that was always going to be tough to achieve
Against an Eagles' side that played good rugby and had constant threats in the shape of half backs Dominic Brambini and Brendan Linsay, plus speedy winger Rob Worrincy.
The early exchanges had the Eagles asking the questions and Leigh were lucky not to concede arty in the ninth minute when Lindsay's kick was spilled by Steve Maden for James Ford to touchdown , only for referee Ronnie Laughton to rule Maden had been impeded when trying to take the kick.
Leigh shot up field and when Watson slipped the ball to the linking Moran, the home defence laid off him, and his dummy and swerving run saw the full back race in at the corner for the opening try on 12 minutes.
Some eight minutes later Watson was again the provider as his superbly weighted ball sent Adam Thomas racing through for a second try and this time Watson added the extras.
It was tough for Leigh, but marsh, Gareth Price and Thomas were getting through a great deal of defensive work, whilst Watson's kicks put Leigh on the attack only for Linsey to haul down Moran when he seemed set to grab his second try. When Leigh went close , the Eagles were after a quick 20-metre restart, but McConnell chose to knock the ball out of Craig Cook's hands, to earn himself a needless ten-minute in the sin bin on 26 minutes. And what a costly error of judgement it proved.
Within two minutes the Eagles worked the overlap and James Ford sent winger Danny Mills at the corner for an unconverted try. Three minutes later it was Ford racing through off Brambini's pass and with Jamie Woodcock goaling it was all square , as the Eagles exploited their extra man advantage.
McConnell returned just in time for Brambini to have the ball stolen off him in a tackle and then see Woodcock boot over the penalty for a 12-10 interval lead.
All Leigh's good work seemed to have been undone in a moment of madness. But at the start of the second half, the fully restored Leigh side showed great character to turn the game on its head in a magical seven minute spell.
Moran put in Marsh on 45 minutes, with Watson hitting the post with the wide out conversion attempt. Five minutes later Moran and Rudd combined to put the lively Chris Giles in at the corner, and this time debutant youngster, Ian Mort was wide with the kick.
And two minutes after that , Moran's kick to the right was taken perfectly by Maden for him to touch down wide out , from where Mort added a superb touchline conversion.
It was a marvellous spell of Leigh play, and it sparked a typical response from Sheffield as they tried hard to get back in the game. Worrincy had a try disallowed for a forwards pass at one end, whilst Moran was again close at the other. Mort failed with a penalty shot , before the Leigh defence finally buckled two minutes from time when Cook burrowed his way under the posts and Woodcock goaled. It left a nervous two minutes but Leigh hung on and a second victory of the National One campaign was theirs.

Sheffield Eagles
1 Jimmy Woodcock
2 Danny Mills
3 James Ford
4 Mike Roby
5 Rob Worrincy
6 Brendan Linsay
7 Dominic Brambini
8 Jack Howieson
9 Craig Cook
10 Ryan Hepworth
11 Craig Brown
12 Tommy Trayler
13 Adam Hayes
subs all used
14 Matt Whitaker
15 Time Buckenham
16 Ged Corcoran
17 Mitchell Stringer
Tries: Mills (28), Ford (32)
Goals; Woodcock 2/3

Leigh Centurions
1 Dennis Moran
2 Chris Giles
3 Mark Roberts
4 Adam Rudd
5 Steve Maden
6 Lee Marsh
7 Ian Watson
8 Mike Morrison
9 Dave McConnell
10 Gareth Price
11 Adam Thomas
12 Lee Doran
13 Jimmy Taylor
subs all used
14 Ian Mort
15 Dale Cunniffe
16 Chris Hall
17 John Cookson
Tries: Moran (12), Thomas ( 20), Marsh (45), Giles (50), Maden (52)
Goals; Watson 1/3, Mort 1/3
Sin bin: McConnell for professional foul (26)
Half time: 12-10
Attendance:
Referee: R Laughton

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