Leigh earn bonus point win away at Orrell.

Leigh travelled away yesterday to take on their near neighbours, Orrell, after a convincing win at home against Bolton last week but they will want to improve on this performance, for their next outing, at home, against Cockermouth next Saturday.

Leigh set off at a cracking pace and were soon in the lead, after good work from Matty Rudd put Rob Drake over for a fine try, in the second minute, which Rob also converted.

Young Joe Murphy, playing only his third game of open age rugby, was the next to get his name on the scoresheet, when he backed up well to crash over in the sixth minute, for a try converted by Rob Drake.

The pressure from Leigh continued and some excellent handling down the left-hand side got Alex Leadbetter over for Leigh’s third try, in the nineteenth minute, which went unconverted.

Leigh continued to dominate proceedings and were rewarded with their fourth try of the day through Dan Hunter, when he barged over in the thirty fifth minute, for another unconverted try.

Orrell, however, to their credit, picked themselves up and responded, with a converted try on the stroke of half time, with a Leigh player earning a yellow card for an indiscretion in the build-up.

Half time Orrell 7 Leigh 24.

This was to turn out to be a very costly yellow for Leigh with Orrell coming out well on top in the early second half exchanges, racking up two tries and one conversion in the opening five minutes, followed by another converted try, in the sixtieth minute to level the scores at 24 points each.

Leigh recovered from the shock of conceding seventeen points in twenty minutes, to score a well worked try to regain the lead, through Alex Leadbetter, crossing for his second try of the day, following a great, gazelle like run down the wing, by prop Jack Burdon. Rob Drake slotted the extras to put Leigh seven points in front with seventeen minutes to play.

A penalty from Rob Drake extended Leigh’s lead to ten points, in the sixty eighth minute but Orrell refused to lie down and came back at Leigh to score another converted try to set up a tense last seven minutes.

However, another Rob Drake penalty, in the last minute, put the game out of Orrell’s reach and Leigh emerged as victors, to earn a bonus point win on the road.

Final score Orrell 31 Leigh 37.