LEIGH LEOPARDS 8 WIGAN WARRIORS 20
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Friday

WIGAN were made to work hard to maintain their “Battle of the Borough” title against an error-ridden Leigh.

Ultimately the visitors’ greater composure saw them home as they converted four Leigh errors into tries. Brad O’Neill led the Wigan effort with Harry Smith enjoying a superb second-half display.

Leigh blew the first chance of points when Lachlan Lam sent Jack Hughes through a big gap after six minutes but the second-row couldn’t find his scrum-half with the return pass.

The hosts did take the lead two minutes later after Jai Field was adjudged to have pushed Umyla Hanley to the floor and Adam Cook goaled for a 2-0 advantage.

The Leopards kept up their early pressure and line-speed with a Cook kick putting Liam Marshall under all kinds of pressure.

Leigh roared forward again and smart play down the left saw Innes Senior go in at the corner when Lam’s pass created a bit of space for Andrew Badrock and the returnee put his winger over in the 15th minute.

At the end of the next set another devilish kick had Marshall under pressure again before Bevan French had a try ruled out.

The visitors weren’t quite firing at this point as Marshall spilled the ball inside his own half and Harry Smith blasted a kick over the backline.

But, they did think they had scored when Jake Wardle took a Cook punt. Wardle’s run and offload saw Marshall finish from halfway but it was ruled out for a push on Umyla Hanley.

Leigh instead had a penalty at the other end which Cook dispatched for an 8-0 lead.

By this point, the Leopards had the momentum but a moment of magic from Field turned the game on its head.

After securing a penalty inside his own half, Field tapped early and scorched his way through the Leigh defence for a superb individual score. Smith converted to make it 8-6 at the break.

Again, though, it was from a Leigh error that Wigan notched their second shortly after half-time.

Lazarus Vaalepu turned and offloaded in the tackle, but the pass went over the shoulder of Gareth O’Brien. Noah Hodkinson swept up and offloaded for French to run under the posts. Smith goaled and suddenly the Warriors were leading.

And Wigan stretched their advantage in the 51st minute when and offload from Lazarus Vaalepu was snapped up by Zach Eckersley and he ran clear from over halfway. Smith’s conversion sailed wide.

It was three tries in a blistering 14-minute period for Matt Peet’s men when the visitors converted another opportunity on the hour as quick hands down the right brought a try for Hodkinson.

Six minutes later, Vaalepu obstructed a Wigan chaser and Smith pointed for the posts.

That kick missed and, as time ticked down, Leigh did apply pressure but a great tackle from Hodkinson denied Badrock and the visitors defence took them home.

GAMESTAR: Brad O’Neill was involved in all Wigan’s best defensive efforts

GAMEBREAKER: Noah Hodkinson’s try before the hour made the game safe.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jai Field scorching away from the Leigh defence before half-time.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Brad O’Neill (Wigan)
2 pts Harry Smith (Wigan)
1 pt Lachlan Lam (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS

LEOPARDS
21 Gareth O’Brien
19 Innes Senior
23 Andy Badrock
4 Umyla Hanley
1 David Armstrong
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Joe Ofahengaue
17 Liam Horne
13 Isaac Liu
12 Owen Trout
22 Jack Hughes
25 Louis Brogan
Subs (all used)
10 Robbie Mulhern
31 Lazarus Vaalepu
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
16 Matt Davis
18th man (not used)
24 Ben McNamara
Also in 21-man squad
5 Josh Charnley
28 Ryan Brown
29 Will Brough

Tries: Senior (14)
Goals: Cook 2/3

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
28 Noah Hodkinson
2 Zach Eckersley
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
8 Ethan Havard
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
14 Sam Walters
17 Oliver Partington
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs
15 Patrick Mago
25 Taylor Kerr
33 George O’Loughlin (not used)
41 Shea O’Connor
18th man (not used)
20 Sam Eseh
Also in 21-man squad
3 Adam Keighran
37 Josh Cartwright
38 Austin Daniel

Tries: Field (37), French (45), Eckersley (51), Hodkinson (59)
Goals: Smith 2/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 6-0, 8-0, 8-6; 8-12, 8-16, 8-20

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Lachlan Lam; Warriors: Brad O’Neill

Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 8-6
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 10,265