LEIGH LEOPARDS 30 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 16
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Thursday

LEIGH claimed back-to-back league victories for the first time this season with a six-try success over Huddersfield.

But it came with a fresh injury issue for the hosts with Robbie Mulhern lasting just seven minutes before coming from the field.

Josh Charnley scored a double on his 400th career appearance while there was also a two-try haul for the other Leopards winger, AJ Towse.

Shortly after Mulhern’s exit, Leigh buzzed into life and Towse swept over for his first. A forensic examination by video referee Cameron Worsley followed when Lachlan Lam fired a pass left to the wideman.

Gareth O’Brien had initially kicked forward and Jacob Alick-Wiencke contested before an inside pass from Joe Ofahengaue was ruled to have been spilled backwards by Isaac Lui, meaning the try stood.

Huddersfield had their first real chance in the 13th minute but Jacob Douglas couldn’t get around the outside.

However, a spilled ball gifted possession back to the Giants and Adam Clune sent it left before Niall Evalds found Adam Swift and he finished neatly to level things at 4-4.

A couple of tackles after the restart, Huddersfield lost the ball and later in the resulting set, Leigh pushed left again where O’Brien sent Innes Senior striding over the line. Adam Cook goaled to make it 10-4.

Then a penalty assisted Leigh to go down the ground and Lam sent Frankie Halton speeding away on the left before he returned the pass inside. It was again referred to the video referee who awarded the score with Cook’s conversion nudging the Leopards to a 16-4 advantage.

Asher O’Donnell saw a try ruled out for an obstruction after the Giants were lively inside the Leigh 20 and it proved a real turnaround as Leigh exposed a weak Giants right side with O’Brien putting Towse in for his second as the ball moved through four pairs of hands.

Although Cook couldn’t goal from the wide spot, Leigh had made it 20-4.

A high tackle on Evalds seven minutes from the break handed Huddersfield much needed field position but they frittered possession away and the Leopards survived.

But three minutes from the break Evalds broke through the middle, and Clune then went close before Taane Milne plundered a score and Tanguy Zenon goaled to put the visitors back within ten points.

The Giants made a positive start to the new half, winning two penalties before Tristan Powell was hauled down by the line and then Harry Rushton couldn’t take a fired pass.

Into the final half-hour Swift went close to claiming a kick in the corner, but Leigh did enough to shadow the ball dead.

There was finally a breakthrough in the 58th minute when Charnley dived in on the right as Leigh’s spine linked clinically to move the score to 24-10.

Milne sparked Huddersfield to life again heading into the last 15 minutes but Leigh defended well on their left.

That allowed Charnley to double his tally in the 69th minute following a great ball from Cook, who then converted from the touchline to stretch the Leopards’ advantage to 30-10.

Senior saw a second effort wiped off for obstruction and Evalds worked some magic at the opposite end but Swift couldn’t gather the kick and Leigh were able to clear their lines.

Huddersfield claimed a consolation score in the final 40 seconds as Evalds put Swift away before his inside pass was finished by Jacob Gagai and Zenon goaled.

GAMESTAR: Gareth O’Brien was assured amongst the Leigh spine, although he was pushed close by Josh Charnley’s powerful second-half performance.

GAMEBREAKER: Charnley’s first try after 58 minutes stretched the Leigh advantage after a strong second-half start by the Giants.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Josh Charnley’s diving finish for his first try and the celebrations with his team-mates.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Gareth O’Brien (Leigh)
2 pts Josh Charnley (Leigh)
1 pt Niall Evalds (Huddersfield)

MATCHFACTS

LEOPARDS
21 Gareth O’Brien
20 AJ Towse
19 Innes Senior
22 Jack Hughes
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Joe Ofahengaue
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
12 Owen Trout
17 Liam Horne
24 Ben McNamara
25 Louis Brogan
18th man (not used)
28 Ryan Brown
Also in 21-man squad
1 David Armstrong
27 Kavan Rothwell
29 Will Brough

Tries: Towse (9, 28), Senior (17), Lam (20), Charnley (58, 69)
Goals: Cook 3/6

GIANTS
1 Niall Evalds
2 Adam Swift
29 Tenguy Zenon
3 Jacob Gagai
39 Jacob Douglas
6 Tui Lolohea
7 Adam Clune
14 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
23 Chris Patolo
11 Asher O’Donnell
13 Harry Rushton
8 Tristan Powell
Subs (all used)
4 Taane Milne
16 George King
20 Mathieu Cozza
32 Oliver Russell
18th man (not used)
18 Kieran Rush
Also in 21-man squad
10 Tom Burgess
22 Jack Billington
– Lewis Jagger

Tries: Swift (15), Milne (37), Gagai (79)
Goals: Zenon 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-4, 10-4, 16-4, 20-4, 20-10; 24-10, 30-10, 30-16

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Gareth O’Brien; Giants: Niall Evalds

Penalty count: 6-8
Half-time: 20-10
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 7,603