LEIGH LEOPARDS 42 HULL FC 6
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Friday

A HAT-TRICK from Josh Charnley and sparkling performances from Adam Cook and particularly Umyla Hanley were the highlights as Leigh eventually swept a youthful Hull away with nine tries.

Despite the final scoreline, Hull began brightly and led seven minutes before half-time as a side much-changed by coach Andy Last – with skipper Aidan Sezer most notably axed – responded in the desired fashion.

But Leigh’s greater experience and quality told in a one-sided second half as Adrian Lam’s resurgent side move to within two points of the top six.

Former Leigh winger Tom Briscoe led Hull’s positive start, twice being tackled by his old team-mate Charnley when in a dangerous position.

Hull remained on the offensive but when a kick went too long from Callum Kemp, Leigh moved into gear quickly and chewed up the metres, finally breaking the deadlock after 18 minutes when six passes took the ball from left to right and Hanley released a seventh pass under pressure to Charnley whose strength took him over.

Hull responded six minutes later after some good inroads from Hugo Salabio and a kick from Cade Cust proved Leigh’s undoing, with Zak Hardaker winning the race and converting to put the visitors in front 4-6.

At this stage Hull were playing with freedom and off the back of a Jake Arthur kick thought they had claimed another score, but video referee Chris Kendall ruled that AJ Towse had been tackled in the air by Harvey Barron.

Charnley picked up his second try of the evening after 33 minutes when a pinpoint kick was chased down by Hanley. As Logan Moy reeled him in, Hanley offloaded and Charnley’s support was rewarded.

Just as Hull looked to be building something on the right, a big tackle from Innes Senior forced an error from Lloyd Kemp. and although Briscoe recovered a Hanley pass, Barron couldn’t hold onto a ball later in the set and Leigh made it count, stripping Hull for numbers on the right with Lachlan Lam and Cook combining for Towse to finish in the corner.

Cook missed all three of his conversion attempts so the Leopards only held a 12-6 interval lead.

Both sides went close at the start of the second half, with Towse denied by a despairing challenge from Barron to just put his foot over the touchline.

Within seconds a long break came from Barron and a valiant tackle from Isaac Liu hauled him down before more pressure from the Leigh defence saw Arthur unable to finish.

Leigh did extend their advantage when Hanley burst through on the right. Cook once again couldn’t find the target but the Leopards now led 16-6.

A Frankie Halton tackle on Lloyd Kemp forced an error and within seconds Lam came left for Halton to stride through. Cook finally opened his goal account at the fifth attempt and the Leopards were in cruise control.

With 22 minutes remaining Leigh cut loose again as Hanley made a classy break, Cook supported and Charnley ran 25 metres for his hat-trick.

The winger was then held up over the line, but more crisp handling saw Edwin Ipape and Lam combine for David Armstrong’s fleet of foot to do the rest for their seventh try. Hanley couldn’t goal.

Lam created an eighth score for the Leopards with Bailey Hodgson touching down after 70 minutes, and Cook goaled via the upright to make it 36-6.

Hull battled to the end and a flying challenge from Moy put Armstrong in touch.

But Lam brought the house down in the last few seconds as he supported Charnley and Jacob Alick-Wiencke. Cook added his third goal to cap the evening.

GAMESTAR: Umyla Hanley was deadly on the kick chase, linked with Josh Charnley superbly throughout and grabbed a try of his own.

GAMEBREAKER: Two tries in the first ten minutes of the second half had Leigh in command.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Josh Charnley’s hat-trick finish.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Umyla Hanley (Leigh)
2 pts Adam Cook (Leigh)
1 pt Josh Charnley (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS

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

Tries: Charnley (18, 33, 58), Towse (38), Hanley (45), Halton (50), Armstrong (63), Hodgson (70), Lam (79)
Goals: Cook 3/8, Hanley 0/1

HULL FC
24 Logan Moy
2 Harvey Barron
32 Lloyd Kemp
35 Ben Johnson (D)
19 Tom Briscoe
27 Callum Kemp
6 Jake Arthur
38 Jeremiah Mata’utia
14 Cade Cust
10 Harvie Hill
11 Joe Batchelor
39 Ethan O’Neill
4 Zak Hardaker
Subs (all used)
26 Hugo Salabio
29 Will Hutchinson
30 Will Kirby
36 Lennon Clark (D)
18th man (not used)
28 Joe Phillips
Also in 21-man squad
3 Davy Litten
7 Aidan Sezer
8 Herman Ese’ese

Tries: Hardaker (24)
Goals: Hardaker 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 8-6, 12-6; 16-6, 22-6, 26-6, 30-6, 36-6, 42-6

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Umyla Hanley; Hull FC: Harvie Hill

Penalty count: 5-2
Half-time: 12-6
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 8,260