Sheffield 22 Leigh 36: Aston rues errors as Eagles fall to Leigh

A wild pass gifted the Centurions a try which provided the momentum to claw back the lead after they trailed Sheffield 22-18 with 15 minutes to play.

“It wasn’t the smartest play – we were wining by four points,” said coach Mark Aston. “It was the last play and we could have taken the tackle.

“The scoreline flattered Leigh a bit more than their performance. We gave it a dig but we came up short.”

Props Eddie Battye and Tony Tonks had combined to punch a hole in the Leigh line to set up the opening try for Cory Aston with Pat Walker kicking the goal.

Leigh’s reply came on the back of a penalty with Gareth Hock held close to the line before former Eagles forward Sam Barlow crashed over. Martin Ridyard added the goal.

Quentin Laulu-Togagae’s long curving run restored the Eagles lead but Leigh levelled through Tommy Goulden. The league leaders edged ahead 16-10 before the break with Ridyard weaving his way through before putting in a chip kick for Gregg McNally to finish with the stand-off adding the goal.

Ridyard added a penalty after the restart but with McNally yellow carded for dissent Sheffield took advantage with tries from Scott Turner and a second from Lalu-Togagae and goals from Kyle Briggs.

Leigh were on the ropes but that changed with the wild pass from Laulu-Togage that gave danger man Ryan Brierley a free run to the line.

Ridyard’s goal put Leigh back ahead 22-24 and the visitors made the game safe with two late tries, from Jacob Emmitt and Brierly, to end Sheffield’s eight-match wining run.

Sheffield: Laulu-Togagae; Turner, Yere, Smeaton, Taulapapa; Briggs, Aston; Battye, Carlile, Tonks, Knowles, Langley, Walker. Substitutes: Davey, Stringer, Davis,Thorpe.

Leigh: McNally; Pownall, Platt, Armstrong, Kay; Ridyard, Brierley; Hock, Beswick, Emmitt, Dixon, Goulden, Barlow. Substitutes: Foster, Hopkins, Aspinwall, Acton.

Referee: Mike Woodhead (St Helens).