Leigh lose out in a fifteen try extravaganza at Hand Lane.

High-flying Liverpool St. Helens (LSH) visited Leigh last Saturday and both sides contributed to what turned out to be a truly excellent display of free flowing rugby, with the hosts, Leigh, narrowly losing out by three points in the end.

LSH were the first to score, after ten minutes of intense pressure, when they crashed over to the right of the Leigh posts for an unconverted try.

A kick through and re-gathering, by Alex Leadbetter, on seventeen minutes, found Osian Griffiths on his shoulder, who in turn found Charlie Wood on hand, for him to gallop away, from forty five metres out, to go over for an unconverted try to level the score.

LSH were very quick to respond to this and good ball handling skills got the ball out wide to their Outside Centre, who used great footwork to step his way through the Leigh defence for a converted try.

Leigh again regrouped and a flowing move put Marcus Morris-Williams in space, with Charlie Wood on his inside shoulder, who collected the pass to step his way through, for his second try of the match, which was brilliantly converted, from wide out, by Rob Drake 12-12.

LSH took the lead again, when they turned over the ball to streak away for a converted try, under the Leigh sticks but two minutes later, a bit of Rob Drake magic got him through the LSH defence, to feed the ever supporting Alex Leadbetter, who went over for a well taken try, converted by Rob Drake 19-19.

A piece of quick thinking by scrum half, Osian Griffiths, saw him take a quick tap penalty, just before the break, to dart over for a cheeky try, which Rob Drake converted, to take the sides off at half time with Leigh leading 26 -19.

The seesaw battle was to continue in the second half and LSH quickly levelled the scores through a converted try.

Another kick through and re-gathering, by Alex Leadbetter, breached the LSH defence to put Ross Shepherd in space, who duly drew the defenders, before putting his brother, Ollie, away for a try under the LSH sticks, which again was converted by Rob Drake. 33-26.

The very influential LSH scrum half then streaked away for an unconverted try, which they quickly added to, through another converted try minutes later, followed by a well taken, unconverted try, by their left winger, to put LSH ten points in front, with fifteen minutes to go.

Marcus Morris-Williams backed up well to narrow the margin, with a try under the LSH uprights, converted by Rob Drake but LSH again extended their lead with five minutes to go, with another converted try, to maintain the ten point margin between the teams.

Marcus Morris-Williams skillfully collected the ball from a five metre scrum, to dummy his way over for his second try of the game, which was converted by Rob Drake in the seventy seventh minute but LSH managed to hold on to their slender lead and take the spoils, in what had been a truly enjoyable game of rugby in the sunshine.

Final score Leigh 47 LSH 50.

Next week, Leigh entertain fourth placed Glossop at Hand Lane. K.O. 3 p.m.