Leigh Centurions 64

Prescot Panthers 6

LEIGH Centurions succeeded in their double mission of victory and by a wide margin.

Coach Keith Latham reflected on a job well done after his side's runaway win hoisted them into joint top spot.

"Our main objective was to win the game, no matter what," Latham said.

"We got a stranglehold after the first 20 minutes, and after that it was just a matter of racking up the points.

"Prescot's spoiling tactics and the way they slowed play down, probably cost us another 18 points. We made some unforced errors but overall I have to be pleased.

"We're now down to our last four games and we've set a target to win each one. If we do that, we're up.

Leigh's squad strength, which Latham feels may prove decisive, was in evidence again. Although Tim Street and points ace Dean Purtill had big games, it was time for others to take centre stage. Loose-forward Andy Fairclough, a recent signing from Wigan St Pat's, grabbed a hat-trick in only his third senior game and was a constant danger.

And then there was the second row pair of Paul Daniel and Matt Nixon who ripped the Panthers apart.

Daniel especially was in top form and brought a glowing tribute from Latham. "He had a tremendous game. With his yardage, tackling stint and line breaks it was a great performance."

Fairclough opened the scoring with an angled run from Nixon's clever off-load, dummied over for his second and raced from the scrum base for his third.

Incisive centres Stuart Donlan and Alan Hadcroft picked up two tries apiece - Hadcroft's second from 70 metres being the game's highlight.

Emerging scrum-half Safraz Patel also collected a couple from close range as Leigh touched down six times in each half.

Street and Daniel helped themsleves to a try each with Purtill boosting his season's points tally to 252 with a 20-point haul from a try and eight goals.

Leigh: O'Loughlin; Purtill, Donlan, Hadcroft, Burrows; Gunning, Patel; Street, Jenkins, Liku, Daniel, Nixon, Fairclough. Subs: Costello, Sarsfield, Ingram, Hilton - all used. Attendance: 1205.

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