Leigh Centurions 19 Whitehaven 12 by Mike Hulme

THE Centurions made it an Easter double to kick off their National League One campaign in encouraging style.

A second successive win over another side expected to push for a play-off place gives Leigh the best possible start to their league programme.

And as a reward, the Hilton Park squad has now been given a week off by delighted head coach Paul Terzis.

"The squad has deserved their break," Terzis says. "Two tough games in four days and 10 solid days of training have taken their toll on a few bodies.

"We don't play again until May 4, so this is an ideal time to get some rest and recuperation into them," he added.

Leigh produced another polished team effort to kill off a team previously unbeaten apart from in the Challenge Cup.

"Whitehaven are an improving side and will always be a threat," added Terzis. "They'll win more games than they lose and will beat some good sides along the way."

Leigh's victory was probably more emphatic than the scoreline suggests. The Centurions scored four high-quality tries and would have won more comfortably had John Duffy and Lee Sanderson managed more than one goal between them.

Whitehaven dug in and made things difficult for the home side who only led 6-2 at the break. The solitary first half try came in the 13th minute when full-back David Alstead made the extra man and sent Bryan Henare haring for the line. Sanderson goaled for a 6-0 lead.

Darren Holt pulled two points back with a penalty but for all their efforts, Whitehaven ran aground on Leigh's rock solid defence.

Holt's second penalty at the start of the second half cut Leigh's lead further but with half-backs Duffy and Pat Weisner pulling the strings they started to edge clear in the game's middle section.

Willie Swann and Phil Kendrick prised open the 'Haven defence down the right and the busy Paul Rowley pounced to make it 10-4. Moments later Weisner put over a 40 metres field goal for 11-4.

By the hour mark Leigh were safe after a trademark length of the field score. Started by Alan Hadcroft, Leigh swept 80 metres for Dale Holdstock to finish in style.

Whitehaven threatened briefly after a breakaway try from Jamie Stenhouse but when Hadcroft broke from distance again, the supporting Alstead flew in to wrap up the points.

Right on time Stenhouse squeezed in at the corner for 'Haven's second try.