Impressive seven try, bonus point win, against Aspull.

Leigh welcomed their long-time friends and adversaries, Aspull, to Hand Lane yesterday. It was the first time that the two Clubs had met, at First Team level, for many years and it was good to see some good friends from yesteryear.

Lancashire RFU President, Gill Burns, attended the match and it was a pleasure to entertain her. The Club hopes that she enjoyed her day out at Leigh.

Several of Leigh’s players were unavailable yesterday but this gave the Coaching Team an opportunity to change the team around a little and Ollie Reffell was brought into the Squad after registering some impressive performances on the “A” XV. He did well when he came on from the bench. Aspull set off like a house on fire and had a converted try on the scoreboard before Leigh had settled. This was quickly followed by an excellent try, from their very influential fly half, who dummied his way over, near to the Leigh Sticks, for another converted try. Fourteen points down, sixteen minutes played.

Leigh seemed to be seriously jolted by this early onslaught from Aspull and quickly picked up their game in retaliation. Good handling by the back line soon got Jack Aspden over for an unconverted try, in the twentieth minute, to register the beginning of their comeback.

A prolonged period of pressure by Leigh resulted in a penalty being awarded, under the Aspull sticks in the thirty fifth minute and quick thinking from scrum half Osh Griffiths, caught the Aspull defence napping as he took a quick tap to dart over the line for an opportunistic try. Rob Drake easily added the extras.

A penalty from Aspull extended their lead to five points but a Rob Drake penalty for Leigh took the sides off at half time with Aspull leading by seventeen points to fifteen.

Leigh must have had a bit of a rethink at half time because they came out of the blocks in the second half like a different team.

A great interchange of passing down the left flank, between Jamie King and Jimmy Wilkinson, got Jimmy over for a brilliant finish, in the forty fourth minute, which was converted from near the touchline by Rob Drake to put Leigh into a five points lead.

Leigh then kept up the pace of their attack and became encamped, close to the Aspull line, for several phases, before Marcus Morris-Williams forced his way over, from a ruck, to extend Leigh’s lead. Another excellent conversion, from out wide by Rob Drake, added another two points in the fiftieth minute.

Ten minutes later, a dominant Leigh scrum set up the platform, from which Jimmy Wilkinson launched himself, to step and scorch his way past several Aspull defenders, to register his second try of the game. Rob Drake stepped up again to add the conversion. Jimmy Wilkinson added his third try of the day in the sixty ninth minute, when he followed up to regather his own speculative kick through, to score near the Aspull uprights. Rob Drake again did the honours.

Leigh’s final score of the game came from a quick tap penalty which got Marcus Morris-Williams over for his second try of the afternoon. Rob Drake’s attempted conversion unfortunately hit the upright and bounced back to bring the day’s proceedings to a satisfactory conclusion for Leigh.

Final score Leigh 48 Aspull 17.

An excellent display by Leigh both with ball in hand and defensively. One tackle, in particular, by Eliot Liku, in the second half, certainly deserves special mention.

Next week Leigh entertain third placed, Glossop, at Hand Lane who are four points ahead of Leigh in the Table. K.O. 2.15 p.m.