Leigh Centurions 24 Sheffield Eagles 26: Yere ends Leigh hopes as Sheffield grind out shock win

Sheffield rolled into town hoping to keep up their high-flying form against Leigh Centurions.

Two weeks ago, the teams met at Bramall Lane with the Eagles victorious, and it was the same again on a clear night in Leigh.

Sheffield proved worthy victors in the end claiming six tries to Leigh's four.

The result ends the Centurions' Super League aspirations for 2012, they needed to reach the Grand Final in order to submit an application for a Super League licence.

After Misi Taulapapa was injured early on with a suspected broken leg, the Eagles took the game to Leigh with half-backs Brendon Lindsay and Simon Brown combining to send Tim Bergin roaring in at the corner.

Leigh replied quickly through David Armitstead and the irrepressible Mick Nanyn hit the first of three first-half goals, but Sheffield soon retook the lead when a flowing move saw Brown and Peter Green combine for Joe Hirst to finish.

The Eagles had the best of the next 15 minutes but Leigh scored a second try through Paul Smith. Sheffield levelled with Menzie Yere but before the break Nanyn touched down and converted to make it 18-12 to Leigh.

Early in the second half Leigh made a couple of mistakes and Sheffield got over for their fourth try through Menzie Yere and Leigh saw John Duffy held by good defence before his kick unlocked the defence and found Steve Nash.

Nanyn goaled but the Eagles claimed a penalty try after Szostak was impeded.

The game was on a knife edge with the Eagles wasting chances on both sides of the field.

Stuart Donlan saw a try disallowed for Leigh but the Eagles were desperately unlucky when Yere was denied a hat-trick.

Fortune favoured the expansive Eagles and after the centre made big inroads in the middle, a kick from Lindsay was fluffed by Donlan and Bergin sailed over for his second try to make it 26-24.

Leigh: Donlan, Maden, Blythe, Nanyn, Higson; Duffy, Paul; Hill, McConnell, Morrison, Smith, Taylor, Armitstead. Substitutes: Bibey, Nash, Ridyard, McCarthy

Sheffield Eagles: Taulapapa, Mills, Yere, Ropati, Bergin; Lindsay, Brown; Howieson, Cook, Stringer, Szostak, Green, Hirst. Substitutes: Henderson, Haley, Hepworth, Exton.

Referee: R Hicks (RFL).