Third Bonus Point win on the bounce.

Leigh welcomed their long time Cumbrian friends and adversaries, Aspatria, to Hand Lane yesterday and it was great to see them back playing in Lancashire.

Aspatria started well and were very lively, in the early exchanges, which earned them a three points lead, through a penalty on seven minutes.

Leigh were quick to respond, with a well-constructed score, minutes later, when good handling skills across the line got Marcus Morris-Williams over, close to the left-hand corner flag, for a great finish, which was brilliantly converted, from wide out, by the trusty boot of Rob Drake.

Aspatria were swift to regroup and worked their way down to the Leigh end of the pitch, where they stayed encamped for a long period of time, before excellent defensive work by Leigh, got them a turnover ball, just outside their own 22. This ball was quickly shipped through several pairs of hands, in a sweeping movement that culminated in a try for Andrew Philbin, who crashed over for his first try in Leigh RUFC colours, in the thirty fifth minute. Leigh 12 Aspatria 3.

An Aspatria penalty, just before the break, took the sides off at half time, with Leigh leading by twelve points to six but Aspatria, to be fair, had most of the first half possession and it was only brave and valiant defending by Leigh that had kept them at bay.

The second half got underway and Leigh turned the tide with the lion’s share of the possession in the first twenty minutes but they struggled to break the dogged Aspatria defence until another trademark Rob Drake effort broke the deadlock, when he carved his way through their defensive line, to score a wonderful solo effort under the sticks, which he duly converted, around the sixty minute mark.

Aspatria were still not for lying down and fought back almost immediately. After going close, with an excellent attack down the left-hand flank, they managed to force their way over the Leigh line, from close quarters, for a try that was converted, to get them back within six points of Leigh, with fifteen minutes to play.

Two Rob Drake penalties extended Leigh’s lead to twelve points, with five minutes left but the icing on Leigh’s cake and the crucial bonus point try, came in the seventy eighth minute, when good, solid approach work got the ball into the hands of lively full back, Jamie King, who snaked and jinked his way over the Aspatria line, from twenty metres out, to score under the uprights, for Rob Drake to convert.

Aspatria, however, true to form, would not leave it at that and very deservedly forced their way over for a well worked, unconverted try, in the last moments of the game.

Final score Leigh 32 Aspatria 18.

This was, arguably, the best performance of the season by Leigh to date but Aspatria should also be congratulated on their performance – they never stopped working and made this match a pleasure to watch. May we wish their injured player a speedy and full recovery.

Man of the Match, for Leigh, went to Kieran Seddon, who had an excellent game but there were many other Leigh players who really put their hands up yesterday and deserve similar praise.

Next week, Leigh travel away to face sixth placed Anselmians, who are currently five points below Leigh in the Table.