Leigh Centurions 33 Dewsbury Rams 22

LEIGH Centurions are in the Grand Final following a 33-22 home success over Dewsbury Rams.

At times it was excellent, at times it was ordinary but there was enough in this pulsating game to keep every one of the 2,828 crowd entertained, with the win ultimately the only thing that mattered.

The Rams started well, forcing Ryan Brierley to kick the ball out of play on the full while testing Gregg McNally at the other end.

But after containing Leigh inside their own half, Leigh exploded down the right with Michael Platt skinning his opposite number before Brierley turned the ball to Adam Higson for the big winger to notch the first of his hat-trick.

After that opening from Dewsbury, Leigh dominated the remainder of the opening quarter and it wasn’t long before they were on the attack again.

Bob Beswick hit a 40/20 which came to nought and Higson was held up over the tryline.

The Centurions were persistent and crossed again after fourteen minutes thanks to a great slide kick from Brierley.

Higson was patient for the bounce and grounded in the corner for Martyn Ridyard to add his second goal.

If the first quarter belonged largely to Leigh, the next 10 minutes belonged to the Rams as they kicked intelligently through Kieran Hyde, Tom Hemingway and Anthony Thackeray.

After a penalty free first twenty minutes Leigh conceded a drop out and tempers frayed.

Liam Kay for Leigh and Jobe Murphy of the Rams were sinbinned for their part and the game threatened to boil over.

Dewsbury made the most of that pressure with Anthony Thackeray dummying his way through the line for Tom Hemingway to goal.

To their credit, Leigh regained their composure for Platt to grab his fourth try since joining the club, finishing wide passes from Beswick, Ridyard and Brierley by bursting through two tackle attempts.

Once again Ridyard was on target from the touchline to open an 18-6 advantage.

In the closing stages of the first half the Rams discipline lapsed and Leigh took advantage.

Karl Pryce gave away a needless penalty for obstructing Tom Armstrong and Ridyard chipped the ball between the posts.

Then with the final play of the half, Ridyard kicked a drop goal to stretch their advantage to 21-6 before Dewsbury rallied.

From the kick-off of the second half former Leigh player Tommy Gallagher came up with a destructive run and a drop out ensued.

Fast hands then brought a try for Ben Hellewell and Joel Farrell crossed six minutes later for the visitors with a Hemingway goal closing the deficit to five points.

Leigh needed some Ridyard magic to inspire them. First he sent Matty Sarsfield downfield for Gregg McNally to score and then booted a 40/20 which saw Brierley and McNally combine for Higson’s third.

Ridyard landed a further goal to make it 31-16 and looked set to complete a handsome victory only for the Rams to peg Leigh back.

The Rams again made a game of it when Dale Morton beat McNally to Thackeray’s clever kick and Hemingway kicked his third goal but Leigh settled things down near the end.

In the closing minutes Anthony Bate was impeded close to the Dewsbury line and Ridyard struck his sixth goal from the penalty attempt to ensure a showpiece final for the club, 10 years after their last Grand Final appearance.

Leigh: McNally; Higson, Platt, Armstrong, Kay; Ridyard, Brierley; Emmett, Beswick, Wilkes, Sarsfield, Barlow. Subs: Penkywicz, Walker, Bate, Acton.