Leigh 30 Hornets 16

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And it worked a treat. In a cynical ploy ably described by coach Tony benson an attempt to '... win back our credibility with the fans...' after last week's humiliation at Batley, Leigh began flying into tackles with the sole intent of doing damage. And it worked. The first victim was Craig Robinson: hit late and high, and stretchered from the field semi-conscious after a six minute stoppage. The incident put on report, but no player singled out.

Three minutes later Richard Moore was stupid enough to get caught repeating the act on John Pickersgill. Both players leaving the field in different directions: Moore summarily dismissed, Pickersgill led staggering to the dugout.

Hornets made the one-man advantage work almost immediately; adding to Andy Gorski's fourth minute try with a neatly worked overlap for Kevin King to score.

With both sides having traded penalties earlier in the piece, Hornets went in at the break 10-4 to the good.

Hornets began the second half disastrously: almost immediately throwing away their numerical advantage when Dave McConnell screamed out of the line to put Julian O'Neill on his arse long after the ball had gone.

Indeed, as the meleŽ subsided around him, O'Neill took grateful advantage of the time and space afforded him by Hornets to set up tries for Sykes and give Leigh the momentum.

Hornets rallied briefly when new signing Phil Hasty followed up his own grubber to score. McCully converting.

But Hornets allowed the resulting kick-off to bounce dead-in-goal, and fron the subsequent drop out, Rowley smugggled the ball out for Forber to score just past the hour.

With the heat beginning to tell - and Leigh sending on fresh forward legs at regular intervals - Hornets dug deep, regrouped and took the game back to the Centurians. But then came the decision that really settled matters. With the game swinging back in their direction Hornets were awarded a very kickable penalty. The two points would have put Hornets within one score of Leigh. Hornets chose to run the ball; the Leigh defence stood firm and there was palpable relief amongst the home fans.

With the Hornets pack now out on its feet, Leigh launched one last raid and Sykes took advantage to score.

In the aftermath, Darren Abram was seething: "It was skulduggery..." he said, "... I was disgusted. To hit someone so late is disgusting... to have (Craig Robinson) taken out is very disappointing. I was left with two players sufering from concussion and the fact I could not change two big men cost us the game."

But - despite the disappointing nature of the defeat - the game was packed with positives. Primarily that Leigh's full-time status only makes them one try better than big-hearted Hornets.

That's credibility, Tony.