Leigh Centurions 43, Halifax 25 by Mike Hulme: THE old sporting cliche of a game of two halves was never more apt than it was at Hilton Park last Sunday.

For almost the entire opening 40 minutes, the Centurions' unbeaten home league record was in jeopardy as struggling Halifax threatened to cash in on Leigh's recent stuttering form.

After 37 minutes their simple, yet effective, style had carved out a 19-0 lead and Leigh were in serious trouble

But Leigh managed to conjure up an astonishing transformation in the second half and took Halifax apart as the trademark style and swagger showed signs of returning.

Even though they faced a 19-0 half time mountain there was no sign of panic in the Leigh camp.

Coach Darren Abram said: "We under-performed in the first half but during the break we just talked through the mistakes we'd made. Everything was calm and relaxed and we came out and won the second half hands down.

"There was no ranting and raving from me. I simply asked them if they had the desire, commitment and enthusiasm to pull things round. I think the final result answers that.

"It just shows that if we stick to the game plans and play to our strengths, people will find it hard to challenge us. I have loads of confidence in the players and they have confidence in me. I think we'll kick on from here now."

The off-colour performances that have dogged Leigh for the last three games re-surfaced in an opening 40 minutes littered with individual and collective errors.

But Leigh showed they had the desire to turn things round and Steve Maden's try in the corner, wonderfully converted from the sideline by Neil Turley, sent them in for the break in a better frame of mind.

It was the old Leigh who emerged for the second half. Cranking up the tempo several notches, Leigh increased the speed of their defensive line; turned Halifax round with an effective kick-chase game and through Martyn, Duffy and Rowley created chances aplenty.

Matt Sturm led the pack forcefully and Ben Cooper made far more of an impact than he did on his debut at Barrow the previous week. Once they had the bit between their teeth, there was only one winner with Halifax finishing a distant second.

The tone of the first half was set immediately from the kick which Leigh allowed to go over the sideline. Conceding possession and territory, Leigh then gifted 'Fax two points when Simon Knox was penalised and Wayne Corcoran put over the first of five first half goals.

After the Halifax loose-forward had missed with another penalty shot, Leigh botched up again from the re-start. From the drop out almost the entire Leigh defensive line took a dummy from Scott Grix before he sent Ben Feehan racing clear to the line. Corcoran landed the touchline conversion and soon afterwards made it 10-0 with another penalty.

Leigh just couldn't put their game together. With Pat Weisner and Mark Moxon kicking intelligently, the Centurions invariably found themselves in possession at the wrong end of the field.

When Rowley went high on Moxon, Corcoran made it 12-0 and Leigh were in the mire right up to their necks.

Things went from bad to worse when Andrew Isherwood's wayward pass dropped into the arms of James Haley, the winger keeping ahead of Maden over 70 metres to score under the posts.

When ex-Centurion Weisner put over a long range drop goal for 19-0, Halifax must have thought they were on the way to only a second league win of the campaign.

Crucially, right on the stroke of half time skipper Ian Knott threw Leigh a lifeline. He managed to whip out a long pass under pressure from a two-man tackle, leaving Maden an open route to the corner. Turley's sideline conversion cut the gap to 13 points.

Leigh still had a mountain to climb but they came out with the right attitude and application and by the 52nd minute had snatched the lead.

On loan centre Cooper produced the first of a several tearaway breaks to set up the position from where Turley could use his footwork to take him through the first line and then his strength to force the ball down.

With Leigh now forcing Halifax into errors, the tide was running the other way. Knox won back possession in front of the posts and Duffy and Cooper set up a try for Rob Smyth in the corner. A second touchline conversion from Turley had Leigh only a point behind.

That quickly became five points in front. On the back of a 40/20 from Martyn, sub Willie Swann came back inside off a short ball and muscled his way over at the foot of the posts.

With Leigh's confidence growing by the minute they cruised further ahead when Martyn put Cooper in the clear before backing up to take the centre's inside pass to stroll over.

When Ryan McDonald illegally checked Turley as he chased his own kick ahead, the Leigh full-back made him pay by striking home a penalty for a 32-19 lead.

Rowley's gamble to run the ball on the last tackle paid handsome dividends as he found Duffy in support, the stand-off arcing round Grix to touchdown. Turley added his seventh goal and Martyn put over a cheeky one-pointer to keep Leigh moving.

Their only defensive slip came just before the end when sub Simon Grix went in out wide and Jon Roper tagged on the extras.

But Leigh had the final word when Duffy toe-poked a perfect kick into the in-goal and Knott followed through to get the touchdown.

SCORERS - Leigh: Tries - Maden (40), Turley (43), Smyth (49), Swann (52), Martyn (60), Duffy (68), Knott (79). Gls: Turley 7/9. Martyn fg

Halifax: Tries - Feehan (11), Haley (34), Simon Grix (76). Gls: Wayne Corcoran 5/6, Roper 1/1.

Leigh: Turley; Maden, Potter, Cooper, Smyth; Duffy, Martyn; Knox, Rowley, Sturm, Larder, Isherwood, Knott. Subs (all used): Norman, Marshall, Halliwell, Swann.

Halifax: Scott Grix; Sherriffe, Feehan, Hadcroft, Haley; Weisner, Moxon; Farrell, Boothroyd, Ged Corcoran, Whittaker, Roper, Wayne Corcoran. Subs (all used): Cantillon, Simon Grix, McDonald, Birchall.

Handling errors: Leigh 8, Halifax 6.

Penalties conceded: Leigh 8, Halifax 9.

Half time: 6-19

Full time: 43-25

Referee: Colin Morris (Huddersfield)

Attendance: 1952

Man

rTHE players' dressing room poll brought a tie between Matt Sturm and Paul Rowley. It's hard to argue with that but I'd put Tommy Martyn in the mix as well.

Magic

rIT won't be the most spectacular try Leigh will ever score but Willie Swann's effort in the second half gave them the impetus to kick on a win a game that looked lost until just before half time.

Moan

rTHOSE opening 37 minutes. Leigh can't afford to make those sort of mistakes against the good sides they are lining up to meet over the next few weeks. Better teams will punish them even more than Halifax did.