A pleasure to watch.

Leigh entertained fourth placed Bowdon at Hand Lane yesterday and really put on a show for the spectators. This embryonic squad is now starting to fulfill it’s potential.

Good hands by Leigh got Johnny Drake over, for the opening score of the game, after two minutes, for a well taken try, which was duly converted by his brother, Rob.

Bowdon, however, were very quick to counter this and immediately came back at Leigh, with a penalty but Leigh soon restored their lead through a penalty of their own, converted by Rob Drake.

Leigh 10 Bowdon 3.

Leigh extended their lead again, in the thirtieth minute, when Alex Leadbetter fielded a Bowdon clearance to link up with Ollie Shepherd around the half way line. Ollie in turn found Marcus Morris-Williams outside him, who brilliantly chipped the ball through the advancing Bowdon defence for Alex Leadbetter to collect and scoot away for an excellent try, which was brilliantly converted, from far wide out on the left, by Rob Drake.

Bowdon again regrouped and several phases of play, close to the Leigh line, saw them rewarded for their efforts with a penalty try for a Leigh infringement.

Not to be outdone, Leigh fought their way back down the pitch and a scintillating run by Ollie Shepherd got the ball out wide to Johnny Drake on the right wing, who skilfully drew the defence to put Alex Leadbetter away, on his inside, to score his second try of the afternoon on the stroke of half time.

Half time Leigh 22 Bowdon 10.

Leigh came out, after the break, full of confidence and a lovely short ball from David ‘Foxy’ Penn put Johnny Drake away for, what turned out to be, a spectacular individual effort, which saw him step his way through the Bowdon defence before accelerating his way over the line, from fifty metres out, for his second try of the day, which was again, converted by his brother, Rob.

Bowdon narrowed the deficit, on fifty minutes, through an unconverted pushover try but Rob Drake countered this, soon afterwards, with his second penalty kick of the match.

An excellent break, in the sixty-fifth minute, down the right-hand flank, by Rob Drake and Kieran Duffy, culminated with the ball being drilled through the Bowdon defence, by Rob Drake, into space for the speedy, ever supporting, Alex Leadbetter to latch onto, to complete his ‘hat trick’ of tries for the afternoon. The extras were duly added once more by Rob Drake. This was a truly excellent try and a joy to behold. The skills on display in it's construction were of the highest order.

Bowdon, however, would not lie down and were rewarded for their perseverance, in the final minute of the game, with an unconverted, consolation try.

Full time Leigh 39 Bowdon 20

This was a brilliant display of free flowing rugby and several players stood out for Leigh but ‘The Men of the Match’, voted for by Bowdon, were Alex Leadbetter and Marcus Morris-Williams.

There will be no First Team fixture next week but then Leigh travel to, bottom placed, Manchester Medics on Saturday 3rd March. Please note the kick off time for this First Team game and all the other remaining First Team games in the season will be 3 p.m.