Leigh away defeat

By the Marra
Date: 20/5/2001

Leigh 42-4(12-0) Haven.
Try scorer Gary Purdham. Town beaten 18-24 by Oldham. Barrow, due to Recre next week, beat Swinton 40-26 at home.
The following details provided from Leigh...
Leigh took to the field without their try scoring hero Neil Turley. They found another one in hat trick hero Chris Morley who had one of his best games in a leigh shirt. Lee Sanderson also got a start and made a great contribution to the game kicking 4 goals. Leigh grabbed another 2 points that takes them to within 1 point of the minor championship Leigh took to the field Minus 2 of their most potent attacking weapons in the shape of Neil Turley and Simon Svabic. Even without other regulars like Tim Street, Andy Leathem and Willie Swann, A patched up Whitehaven side never threatened to beat Leigh.
Leigh welcomed back Alan Hadcroft and Dave Whittle back to the starting line and Andy Fairclough won a place on the bench. While giving a start to young Scrum Half Lee Sanderson whose performance must surely warrant another start next week. The game didn't start at a fantastic pace. Too may handling errors for that but good pressure in attack and defence meant that Whitehaven not got out of their own half for the 1st 10 minutes. It took Leigh 15 minutes to register their 1st points however. Liam Bretherton offloaded to a charging Chris Morley who took 3 players over the line with him. Lee Sanderson converted.
Leigh went straight back on the offensive and 2 minutes later Dave Whittle had a try ruled out by a linesman 50 yards away when the ref was only 3 away. Dave failed to ground the ball. Leigh looked to be out of sorts in the 1st half with their normal flowing rugby not being shown. It took till the last 5 minutes of the half before Leigh registered their 2nd try. Again Chris Morley scored the try. Chris made the try with some great diagonal running when nothing at all seemed on. Lee Sanderson kicked the goal.
Half Time 12-0
At the start of the 2nd half Chris Morley started a move that was excellently finished by Mike Watts. Morley slipped the ball in a tackle to Paul Anderson who made 20 yards. Lee Sanderson was there in support and when nothing looked on his switched play back to the right and up popped Watts to go over. Sanderson converted the try. 6 minutes later Simon Baldwin scored after Adam Bristow was stopped in front of the sticks. A quick play of the ball stretched the Whitehaven defence and Syd went over wide out. Lee Sanderson kicked a great goal from the touchline. This spurred Whitehaven into action and Gary Purdham scored a well-deserved try that was not converted.
With just over 10 minutes left Paul Anderson popped up with a try from short range. Liam Bretherton converted Andy Fairclough then marked his return by setting up John Duffy to cross the white line. Bretherton again converted. Whitehaven failed to make 10 yards from the kick off. A good touch kick found Leigh just 10 yards out and they were straight away back on the attack. 3 tackles later John Duffy dropped off Chris Morley who crossed the line untouched for a great hat-trick. Liam Bretherton again converted.
No better earlier this season.
Wilson, O'Neil, Seeds, R.Purdham, Wallace, Kiddie, Kirkbride, Cox, Lester, Vaughan, Miller, Sherwen, G.Purdham, Jackson, R.Campbell, Devlin, Smith.