There were several sharp intakes of breath when the draw for the fifth round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup was made, none more pronounced than when Championship trail-blazers Leigh Centurions were drawn at home against Salford Red Devils.

Over six thousand were at the Leigh Sports Village for the tie of the round, with the Red Devils being the bookies favourites to uphold the honour of Super League and inflict the Centurions first home defeat in eighteen months.

Paul Rowley, his side, and his supporters have an expectation of being in Super League next season and this was their chance to benchmark themselves against the fourth placed side in the flagship competition.

What unfolded was a cracking cup match full of incident, nervous mistakes, great tries and a nail biting conclusion.

Despite good early pressure from Leigh it was the Red Devils who drew first blood. Leigh had heaped the pressure on themselves with lost ball and daft penalties and Theo Fages benefitted taking the ball from first receiver to step inside and stretch over to score. Dobson added the extras but would only last another eight minutes before going off injured.

Leigh settled themselves and started to build possession and position and after twenty-four they got their breakthrough when first Beswick went close before turning provider for Goulden to score as the Salford defence could only ankle tap the Leigh second-rower. Ridyard goaled for 6-6.

Three minutes later and Leigh were in front. Beswick was again the provider after busting the line, this time for McNally to go in under the sticks making Ridyards conversion a simple one.

On twenty-nine Salford lost Sau with and injury that saw him straight to hospital but it was the Red Devils who would overcome the injuries to level the score before the break when Fages broke the line and passed to Evalds who went forty metres to score by the posts. Paterson converted in Dobsons absence for 12-12.

Within three minutes of the restart, Salford were back in the lead when Evalds got his second after pushing past the Leigh defence off a Fages inside pass. Paterson kicked the extras for a six point lead.

Again the Centurions regrouped and just after the hour they would hit their visitors with a double-whammy.

On sixty-three a brain explosion from Ben Jones-Bishop saw him pass into the hands of Brierley who accepted the invitation to run the angle before coming back inside to score behind the posts enabling Ridyard to kick a simple conversion to level the scores.

Just three minutes had passed before an incredible pass from McNally to Pownall for the winger to score. Ridyard failed with the kick but the Centurions had a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

In the last quarter of an hour the Red Devils got increasingly frustrated in attack and the Centurions increasingly fervent in defence.

Leigh held on for a famous victory, and forced an early cup exit on Iestyn Harris's Red Devils. There was very little to choose between the sides in a game punctuated by mistakes, both forced and unforced. In the end the Centurions just had that little bit more determination and made the best of their chances.

Centurions: McNally, Pownall, Platt, Armstrong, Kay, Ridyard, Brierley, Spencer, Beswick, Emmitt, Dixon, Goulden, Barlow. Subs: Worthington, Aspinwall, Hock, Hopkins.

Devils: Evalds, Jones-Bishop, Caton-Brown, Sau, Johnson, Fages, Dobson, Taylor, Godwin, Morley, Taylor, Hansen, Paterson. Subs: Tasi, Griffin D, Hood, Griffin G.


Referee: Phil Bentham
Attendance: 6,358