Leigh made to battle hard for victory at Eccles

Leigh travelled to our near neighbours, Eccles yesterday with a squad which contained fifteen of our ‘home grown’ players in the eighteen. This is testament to the investment that the Club has made over many years into Mini and Junior rugby. Many people have devoted huge chunks of their lives into delivering this outcome and to be able to field fifteen ‘of our own lads’ yesterday was a joy to behold.

It was Leigh who were to get the scoreboard clicking, with a Rob Drake penalty,, in the third minute but Eccles were quick to counter this with an excellent try, scored by their very nippy full back, who swerved his way through the Leigh defence, from thirty-five metres out, which went unconverted. Eccles added a penalty in the eleventh minute, to go into a five-point lead but three penalties in quick succession, from Rob Drake, soon put Leigh back into a four-point lead. Eccles 8 Leigh 12.

At this stage Leigh seemed to pick up the tempo and following a dominant spell of play, Rob Drake put Dan Hunter through a hole with a beautifully timed pass. Dan skilfully drew the full back before putting the ever-supporting Jamie King over, for a very well executed try under the Eccles sticks. Rob Drake added the conversion to take the sides off at the break, with Leigh leading by nineteen points to eight.

Eccles came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and Leigh had to defend courageously to repel wave after wave of attacks.

A particularly solid tackle on the Eccles right winger, close to the Leigh 22, forced him to spill the ball, which Jonny Drake miraculously picked up from around his bootlaces, to race away to score a lovely individual effort, which was converted by brother Rob. Eccles 8 Leigh 26.

Leigh continued to defend well but also caused Eccles several problems going forwards. One promising attack unfortunately backfired on them, when Eccles latched onto a long pass to intercept and race away from ninety metres out, for a converted try in the fifty fifth minute to get them back within eleven points of Leigh.

Leigh worked their way back up to the Eccles end and following a couple of good phases Rob Drake spotted a mismatch, to jink and dummy his way through the Eccles defensive line, to dot the ball down near to the uprights for a classy try, which he easily converted to put Leigh into an eighteen points lead with twenty minutes to play.

Eccles refused to lie down however and continued to throw everything they had at Leigh. They were rewarded for their efforts in the seventieth minute, when their elusive full back again entered the line to put their right winger over by the corner flag, for a well-deserved, converted try. Ten minutes to go and eleven points in it.

This last ten minutes was all about Eccles throwing the ball around and Leigh throwing themselves into tackle after tackle. Leigh’s spirited and dogged defence paid off in the end and they emerged victorious by thirty-three points to twenty-two.

Next week Leigh face twelfth placed Aspull at Hand Lane K.O. 2.15 p.m.