Featherstone Rovers 12 Leigh Centurions 22: Sheridan starts with a surprise defeat in Cup

Martyn Ridyard scored an 85-yard try and kicked three goals as Leigh reached the quarter-finals by inflicting Featherstone’s first home defeat for 12 months.

It was a disappointing start for Featherstone’s interim head coach Ryan Sheridan, in charge following Daryl Powell’s departure to Castleford.

Sheridan said: “There was a lot of effort from our players but it was just misguided at times and we got a bit too frantic towards the end. Credit must also go to Leigh who defended very well.

“It was a war of attrition and we created several several opportunities in the second-half but we couldn’t score.”

Featherstone took a seventh-minute lead when Andy Kain swapped passes with Tim Spears to create the opening for Anthony England to power over but Leigh hit back to lead 16-12 at half-time.

They levelled when Ryan Brierley intercepted Finn’s pass to race 80 yards to score. Ian Hardman’s pass was then intercepted by Ridyard to put Leigh 10-6 ahead.

Rovers substitute Andy Bostock scored with his first touch after Finn set up the try by regathering his own clever kick.

Finn, making his 100th consecutive Featherstone appearance, kicked his second goal to give Rovers a 12-10 advantage but the game swung back Leigh’s way 10 minutes before half-time when Matt Gardner punished weak tackling to cross.

Leigh did well to survive sustained Rovers pressure in the second-half. Featherstone’s handling let them down near the try line and their fate was sealed three minutes from time when Jon Pownall intercepted Andy Ellis’s pass to score and Ridyard added his third goal.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman; Hodson, Hepworth, Sharp, Saxton; Kain, Finn; Crossley, Kaye, England, Lockwood, Spears, Dale. Substitutes: Ellis, Mariano, James, Bostock.

Leigh Centurions: McNally; Maden, Littler, Gardner, Pownall; Ridyard, Brierley; Ostick, Beswick, Spencer, Finnigan, Thornley, Hopkins. Substitutes: Penkywicz, S Taylor, Goulden, Duffy.

Referee: M Thomason (Warrington).