Leigh Lions take the spoils in close encounter at home in the sun

Match report by Rob Leyland:

This week’s fixture saw Widnes RUFC visiting an unseasonably warm and sunny Hand Lane.

These two teams were involved in a brutal, bruising encounter just five weeks earlier with Leigh coming out on top on that occasion.

There were no other visiting teams so it was an old fashioned one on one for the full hour, could Widnes avenge their January defeat?

Leigh u11’s 6 Widnes u11’s 0
Evan got the game underway with a good kick-off and Leigh set about trying to assert their authority. As they proved back in January though, Widnes were no pushovers with strong tacklers throughout their team and Leigh were going to have to work really hard to make a dent in their defensive line.

They did open up their opponents shortly after though with a well worked try. Jayden, playing at scrum half, fed to Evan, who was at first receiver, and he flung a long pass out wide to Sam who powered down the left wing to score in the corner. Soon after, the Lion’s doubled their lead, when Ben intercepted a Widnes pass and raced away from the defensive chasers to touch down for try number two. That quick-fire double salvo would usually result in Leigh start to overrun their opponents but Widnes were made of stern stuff and they started to creep back into the game. Although they enjoyed some periods of possession, Widnes never really threatened the Leigh line and when the ref blew for half-time, the score was still 2-0 in favour of the Lions.

Widnes got the second half started and the game continued to be a fairly even contest with neither side able to get on top of the other. Leigh were still the team that looked the more dangerous when they had possession though and they eventually bagged number three when Sam collected a pass on the right touchline and showed good strength to force his way over in the corner. It was roughly at this point in the away fixture that Widnes lost the plot a little and Leigh ran away with the game but there was no sign of that happening today. They forced Leigh right back into their own twenty two and were knocking on the door for a good few minutes but the Lion’s are nothing if not resolute and they showed great determination to repel the best that Widnes could throw at them.

Having not been able to capitalise on their best period of the game, Widnes did now seem to sag a little and Leigh began to look more dangerous. Reece nearly scored, but was bundled into touch just shy of the line and, from the re-start, Leigh were able to turn over possession close to the Widnes line and Mitch scurried over to score a fine opportunist try.

With time ticking away, and a Widnes revival looking unlikely, Callum took the game completely away from them with a devastating two minute spell. First, he stormed onto a well timed pass from Evan, to scorch over in the left corner and then he danced through an admittedly static Widnes defence to bag the final try of the match.

The ref blew for full time shortly after and, although there wasn’t the usual onslaught of tries from the Lions, they can be proud of another zero in the ‘tries conceded’ column!

Lordy was awarded Man of the Match after an impressive all round display.

Next week is a trip to North Wales to face Mold.
3, 2, 1...LIONS!