Leigh notch up their second victory of the New Year.

Leigh travelled to Hoylake yesterday hoping to emulate their home triumph in September, when Leigh emerged victorious by 40 – 15. They did emerge on top in this game but the match was a much closer affair. All credit to Hoylake, they came out with all guns blazing and they must be one of the most disciplined teams in World Rugby because yesterday the referee only awarded one penalty against them. Leigh, thankfully, weathered the storm, against all odds.

It was Hoylake who were first to trouble the scorers, when they put together a good few phases early in the game to go over for a well constructed, unconverted try wide out on the left.

Leigh rallied and came back in the twenty-fifth minute, when Alex Leadbetter latched onto a dropped ball and dribbled it through from forty-five metres out to score an opportunistic try, which was brilliantly converted, from wide out, by Rob Drake.

Good hands by Leigh, just before the break, got Johnny Drake over for a well set up try, which was again brilliantly converted, from wide out, by his brother, Rob.

Half time Hoylake 5 Leigh 14.

Hoylake came out after the break, full of hard running and they were soon rewarded with a penalty, which they converted on forty-three minutes, to reduce the deficit to six points.

Leigh were quick to counter this and several good phases of play constructed a platform for scrum half, Alex Leadbetter, to dummy and squeeze his way under two desperate defenders, for his second great finish of the day, which was again converted by Rob Drake.

Hoylake again narrowed the deficit to six points, in the sixty-fifth minute, when a pick and drive got them a converted try, under the Leigh sticks but Leigh again stretched their lead, through a well executed try of their own, through Johnny Drake, who went over for his second finish of the day. Rob Drake, unfortunately, narrowly missed with his conversion attempt.

The final ten minutes was a torrid affair, with Hoylake pressing hard and Leigh defending manfully. However, Hoylake did manage to get over for a well-taken consolation try in this final period but Leigh worked hard and managed to deny them any further points, to emerge triumphant by twenty-six points to twenty.

This turned out to be yet another ‘team’ effort for Leigh, who are still developing this squad of players and who are beginning to master the art of grinding out a win.

Next week, Leigh entertain fifth placed Glossop, at home, in what could be a very interesting game. K.O. 2.15 p.m.