By Matt Lawton
August 22 2002

A ruthless performace from the Centurions gave them a huge victory over rock bottom Gateshead in their 'away' victory at Hilton Park to take Leigh only a win away from confirming their second place finish in the NFP. A thoroughly professional from the high flying Leythers left strugglers Gateshead with no answer as the mighty Centurions ran in a magnificent fifteen tries to Gateshead's total of zero points.
However, credit to the Gateshead supporters who travelled two hundred miles for a 'home' game and never stopped singing throughout the game despite their team being humiliated by one of the NFP's top dogs.
Winger Oli Marns set the ball rolling with his long awaited first try in Leigh colours coming in the first few minutes on his way to collecting a well deserved hat trick. Marns' fellow winger, Eric Andrews, collected five tries to go with the club record eight tries he scored in an under nineteen's fixture earlier this month.
It was definitely a night for the wingers as veteran wingman Dave Ingram, on his return after a long spell out injured, went over to collect his one hundredth try for Leigh which got the biggest cheer of the night.
Lancashire full back Neil Turley, recent signing Dale Cardoza, Simon Svabic who had been re-instated in to the starting XII, Chris Morley who was earlier announced in the Wales squad for their game against New Zealand in Cardiff in the Autumn, exciting half back John Duffy and substitute Mark McCully all get themselves on the scoresheet with four pointers with Turley also collecting eleven goals.
Ultimately it was rather disappointing that Leigh didn't record a club record victory as had Turley been 100% with the boot, only one try would've been needed to surpass the 92-2 scoreline that defeated Keighley in 1986. It almost certainly would've been collected but for harsh refereeing disallowing two Leigh tries.
It says a lot for the progress of Leigh that we come away from an 82-0 victory over a side that only a couple of years ago was successful in Super League yet we are still disappointed!

Cherry & White Online M.O.M. - My man of the match for this evening would probably again go to JJohn Duffy who was tremendously creative in midfield, even without injured sparring partner Bobbie Goulding. Duffy was however run close by wingers Marns and Andrews, Dave Ingram for the fact that he finally got his century of tries and also Dave Whittle, Simon Knox and Chris Morley who battered holes in the Gateshead defence with their tireless, powerful running which allowed the backs to take control.