Hull KR 8 Leigh Centurions 35: YOU know when you've done a job well. Only your own supporters stick around to see the conclusion.

With more than 20 minutes left hundreds of Rovers fans were streaming for the exits. They'd seen enough.

They didn't have the stomach to stay and watch a confident and competent Leigh dismantle their favourites and leapfrog back to the top of the National League One table.

But the hundreds of travelling Centurions fans stayed to death, lapping up the victory and Leigh's return to form. They were determined to enjoy the moment just as much as the players.

And both parties deserved their moment in the sun.

Leigh fans have done it tough over the last couple of months; being hit hard in the pocket by a succession of long away trips. And the players have had a rough ride as well; indifferent performances bringing stinging criticism from their coach and from the terraces.

But on Monday morning the world would have seemed a lot rosier with the team back in form, a crucial away win secured and now a cup semi-final to look forward to.

It was the manner of Leigh's victory rather than the margin that was the most pleasing.

Those who feel Leigh can't win without Tommy Martyn will now need to re-assess those opinions. Leigh's talisman leader did start but hobbled off with a knee injury after 20 minutes. Happily, Leigh hardly noticed he'd gone.

John Duffy, Paul Rowley and Martyn's replacement Willie Swann, simply rolled up their sleeves and took on more responsibility. By the end Rovers were thoroughly beaten and totally dispirited.

Yet the result or the performance didn't come as a surprise to coach Darren Abram. "I felt from last Monday's training session that the lads were focused and really up for it. I could sense we were in for a big performance.

"If today's game proved one thing it's that if the players stick to the game plan then we'll be OK. We highlighted one or two areas where we could hurt them and by sticking to that plan we came up with the goods."

Even with Martyn on the sidelines, Leigh were still able to come up with an effective kick-chase game that turned Rovers round time and again, forcing them to bring the ball back from their own line far more than they would have liked. That was meat and drink to Leigh who kept Rovers at arms length with their best defensive effort for weeks which kept the opposition to single figures for the first time since March.

Workaholic Rowley and sidekick Duffy were dominant figures in the middle while Turley was always a constant threat. Dan Potter, switched from centre to second row, ran himself to a standstill in attack and defence; Steve Maden made acres of ground on his kick returns and Heath Cruckshank was the best front rower on either side.

Referee Ronnie Laughton was clearly determined to stamp his authority from the first whistle and pinged Leigh three times in three minutes. The third offence - a high shot from Simon Knox on his former Hilton Park team-mate Dale Holdstock - presented Scott Thorburn with a gift two points.

For the next 70 minutes or so Leigh gradually made their superiority tell and by the time Rovers added to their total, the Centurions had scored 35 points.

Leigh hit the front just eight minutes in when Turley's footwork and determination got him over the line close to the posts. Rowley's scoot out of dummy half created the space and try poacher Turley did the rest before adding the conversion.

Turley's confidence appears sky-high at the moment and when Danny Halliwell won a penalty tight on the right touchline, the Leigh kicking ace had enough self belief to arrow his penalty shot right over the black dot.

Moments later Rob Smyth put his side in trouble with a fumble close to his own line but Leigh got away with it and Smyth quickly made amends by showing the sort of finishing ability that prompted Abram to sign him in the first place. Credit for creating the try goes to Cruckshank for a quick play the ball and Rowley for delivering a two-man cut out pass. Smyth was off like a hare out of a trap, down the outside and round close enough to the posts for Turley to make it 14-2.

Within a minute of Martyn going off, Leigh had extended their lead. When Paul Mansson shot out of the line to try and intercept a Duffy pass, Potter steamed through the hole he left behind, stepped Lyton Stott expertly and left Turley with another easy conversion.

By half time Leigh were virtually out of sight at 23-2. Rowley's smart thinking at dummy half won another penalty that Turley knocked over and just before the bell Duffy knocked over a one-pointer.

Turley's only failure with the boot came early in the second half when his penalty attempt, after Ian Knott was taken high, slide wide of the left upright.

Matt Sturm, Turley and Maden all went agonisingly close to tries as Leigh tried to put the game to bed. Ironically, it was only after Dave Larder was sin-binned for persistent off-side, that Leigh struck again.

Back-to-back penalties gave them good field position and after Knott had gone close, Swann picked up from dummy half and his low dive brought him a try at the corner. For Turley, the touchline conversion was a mere formality.

Leigh bossed almost the entire second half and went out to 35-2 when a Rovers fumble gave them position and possession in front of the posts. Swann punished a dozy defence by peeling away from the base of the scrum and going right between the posts for another six.

Rovers had hardly created a clear-cut scoring chance all afternoon so when a try did come, it was a bit of a shock. For once Leigh's defensive radar broke down and sub Dean Andrews shot through a big gap to touchdown nine minutes from time. Thorburn added the extras.

SCORERS - Leigh: Tries - Swann (57, 67), Turley (8), Smyth (20), Potter (24). Gls: Turley 7/8. DG: Duffy.

Rovers: Try - Andrews (71). Gls: Thorburn 2/2.

Rovers: Stott; Farrell, Parker, Poucher, McClarron; Mansson, Thorburn; Bovill, Ellis, Aizue, Holdstock, Gallagher, Smith. Subs (all used): Hasty, Andrews, Watene, Fletcher.

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

Handling errors: Leigh 6, Rovers 12

Penalties conceded: Leigh 10, Rovers 10.

Sin-bin: Larder - Leigh (persistent offside) 53 mins.

Half time: 23-2

Full time: 35-8

Attendance: 2647

Man

rA TOUGH call in a top team effort. But it's a three-way split between Rowley, Duffy and Potter who caused Rovers most problems.

Magic

rSMYTH'S first half try which gave Leigh a bit of breathing space. One minute they looked like conceding, the next the winger was touching down at the other end. The perfect counter-punch.

Moan

rTHE sight of a disconsolate Martyn sat on the bench, knee strapped in ice. With a cup semi final looming, it's the last thing Leigh wanted to see.