Hull KR 24 Leigh Centurions 18: Robins hold off late fightback to advance in Challenge Cup

Leigh’s late salvo put the outcome in doubt until the final hooter leaving the Super League side grateful for an inspired second quarter to take control of this sixth-round tie and fourth competition meeting between the teams in five years.

Smith, tipped as a potential candidate to replace Richard Agar as head coach at former club Leeds Rhinos, might not have been too worried by Leigh’s encouraging opening and frantic finale.

But the 2015 Wembley runners-up needed the inspiration of half-back Mikey Lewis to turn the tie in their favour. Leigh, beaten for the first time in seven league and cup games, dominated the first 20 minutes.

But for all their possession Adrian Lam’s second-tier visitors only had Ben Reynolds’ penalty to show for their effort.

And when they finally clicked, having defended three goal-line dropouts Rovers, thanks to livewire Lewis, showed the Centurions how to finish.

Lewis supplied the final pass for second-row Frankie Halton, once of amateurs Leigh Miners Rangers, to touch down after 25 minutes. The diminutive stand-off then started and finished a final tackle play that had the Craven Park faithful cheering the move’s slickness and audacity.

Will Dagger, replacing Jordan Abdull as kicker, booted the conversion and tagged on the extras to Matt Parcell’s close-range effort just before the break.

Leigh, winners over Widnes and Bradford in the previous two rounds, badly needed the first score of the second period to stand any chance of reaching the last eight.

They enjoyed an encouraging amount of possession when the game resumed without threatening to unpick the home defence.

And any suggestion of a second-half recovery looked to have evaporated after 53 minutes as substitute Matty Storton ploughed over by the posts. Dagger improved to make it 24-2 before hobbling off to be replaced by Rowan Milnes.

Leigh refused to accept the inevitable and gave themselves a glimmer of hope when winger Keanan Brand squeezed in at the corner after 64 minutes for an unconverted try.

It looked to be nothing more than a consolation for last season’s top-flight side. Instead, Leigh left the Robins’ rocking with two tries in three minutes late on.

Jacob Jones crossed after 76 minutes before Joe Mellor finished a near length of the field effort for Leigh’s third try.

Krisnan Inu’s touchline conversion left Leigh with 90 seconds to force overtime but they came up just short to deny Smith’s side an eighth successive win over their visitors stretching back to 2016.