Bragging rights go to Tyldesley

Leigh travelled to Tyldesley yesterday with high hopes of a victory, following a good win on the road at Southport last week – but it was ‘Bongs’ who emerged victorious to collect the Sean Grainey Trophy, in a thrilling encounter at St. Georges Park.

Both sides fired shots across each other’s bows in the early exchanges but it was Tyldesley who took the lead when they drove over the Leigh line for a converted try after four minutes.

Leigh responded, on fifteen minutes, when Chris Boyle crashed over from a scrum to score a try, which was duly converted by the trusty boot of Rob Drake to level the scores.

Rob Drake added a further two penalties to one by Tyldesley. However, Tyldesley took the lead with one of the final plays of the half, when they squeezed over in the corner, for an unconverted try, to take the sides off at the halfway point with Tyldesley leading by fifteen points to thirteen.

Tyldesley extended their lead, on fifty minutes, when they again drove over the Leigh line, from close quarters, to register another unconverted try.

The next score by Tyldesley came from an inch perfect cross field kick by their mercurial fly half, Mark Dickinson, who spotted their right winger in space and dropped the ball into his hands, for him to race away to score a truly spectacular try.

Tyldesley 25 Leigh 13.

Leigh tried to get back into the game and pressurised Tyldesley but they kicked a lot of ball away, straight into Tyldesley’s hands, when they perhaps would have been better to have kept the ball in their hands and put it through their superior back line.

A good break down the left flank, by Brandon Greenwood, unfortunately, fizzled out to nothing, with the Tyldesley try line beckoning but good hands by Leigh finally got Marcus Morris-Williams into space, for him to weave and dummy his way over, under the Tyldesley sticks, for a try which was converted by Rob Drake to set up a pulsating finish.

Tyldesley courageously hung on and cleared their lines to emerge as victors by twenty-five points to twenty. Man of the Match for Tyldesley went to Mark Dickinson who bossed the game for them and pinned Leigh back, time after time, with some superb tactical kicking.

Next week Leigh entertain West Park (St. Helens) at home. Kick off 2.15 p.m.