Red-hot Leigh standing in Oldham’s way

ROUGHYEDS reserves, fourth in the division and chasing a top-six play-off spot, face a tough examination away to Leigh Centurions tonight (7.30pm kick off).

Having won eight of their nine Reserves Championship games, Leigh are tucked into second place behind leaders Whitehaven.

John Hough’s men have won six out of nine, the latest being a 58-6 victory against Dewsbury Rams at the Whitebank Stadium, and they hope to be strengthened by the return of barnstorming prop Michael Cadd, who was unavailable last weekend.

Centurions normally play reserve games at Leigh East, but tonight’s clash has been moved to Golborne Parkside.

“With due respect to Dewsbury, against whom we scored 11 tries, this will be a much tougher proposition,” said Hough.

Loose-forward Johnny Walker gave an inspired performance against Dewsbury in which he scored two tries and set up three more for Mick Diveney, Ross Coates and Mark Brocklehurst.

Oldham registered five tries in the first half and six in the second while stand-off Diveney converted seven of them.

Diveney, debutant winger Lewis Brooks, Brocklehurst and Walker (twice) scored in the first half and the six second-half tries came from Austen Barrowclough, Coates, Brocklehurst, Jamie Knight and Kashley Watkins (two).

Roughyed will stage their first major social event in the Whitebank clubhouse on Thursday — a sell-out dinner to mark the end of chairman Chris Hamilton’s successful year of office as president of the RFL.

“It’s the club’s first big function since we moved into Whitebank and it’s going to be a great night,” said commercial manager Rachael Marsters.

The under-10s of St Anne’s and Fitton Hill will play a curtain-raiser to Sunday’s home game against derby rivals Swinton Lions (kick-off at 3pm).