Drab day in Derbyshire

Leigh travelled to Glossop yesterday to play yet another club whom they have not encountered at First Team level for many years. It was not to be a happy re-union on a very dull, wet and drab day in Derbyshire.

Both sides got into gear quickly from the start but it was Glossop who took the lead on ten minutes through a penalty, for a Leigh offside but Leigh soon countered that through a penalty of their own slotted by the reliable boot of Rob Drake.

Glossop seemed to adapt their game better to the conditions and to the personnel at their disposal and retook the lead on twenty-two minutes when a good catch and drive got them over the Leigh line for an unconverted try wide out on the left.
8-3.

Eight minutes later, Glossop extended their lead through a well executed overlap down the left wing whilst Leigh were down to fourteen men for a yellow card.

Leigh rallied in the last ten minutes of the first half and were rewarded with a well taken try which came from a deft chip through by Marcus Morris-Williams brilliantly collected by Alex Leadbetter who streaked away from thirty metres to dot the ball down. Rob Drake again slotted the conversion to take the sides off at the break with Glossop leading by thirteen points to ten.

Another Rob Drake penalty immediately after half time put the sides level but it was Glossop who took hold of the game in the second half and Leigh had to scramble hard to defend. Relentless carrying by their forwards and effective tactical kicking by their giant fly half (who could have easily been mistaken for a No.8) pinned Leigh back in their own half for long periods of time.

A second yellow card given to another Leigh player on sixty minutes allowed Glossop to take advantage of their extra man to drive over the Leigh line for a converted try but it was the red card given to a Leigh player in the sixty-fifth minute that really put the nail in the Leigh coffin.

Glossop finished the day, on a high, through a try wide out on the right whilst Leigh were down to thirteen men to take the spoils by twenty-five points to thirteen.

A sad day for the Leigh lads who really put in a good shift in their previous outing. Unfortunately, their lack of discipline and their inability, on the day, to adapt to the conditions led to their downfall.

Next week, Leigh host League leaders, Broughton Park, at Hand Lane in what should be an entertaining game.