Rugby League: Leigh humbled by Castleford: 10-try rout for First Division strugglers

Castleford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Leigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

CASTLEFORD set up a Regal Trophy quarter-final against Carlisle, running in 10 tries without having to play consistently well against depressingly poor opposition last night.

Leigh, fielding a side packed with too many raw youngsters, at least made an early mark with two penalties from Glynn Davies. In between, however, Castleford gave a warning of what was to come when Mike Ford and Grant Anderson shattered a brittle defence for Simon Middleton to score their first try.

Three more tries in five minutes soon demonstrated the yawning gap in standards, Lee Crooks and Anderson throwing carefree passes for Ford, St John Ellis and Graham Steadman to rip through.

The First Division's bottom side were already free to concentrate on avoiding relegation, but some improved application allowed them to hold Castleford until three minutes before half- time when Middleton was awarded an obstruction try.

There was time before the interval for Dean Hanger to punish some complacency in the Castleford defence for a try that gave Davies his third goal and put Leigh into double figures.

Ellis scored his second try of the match and 19th of the season after the break, darting over from the play-the-ball. Tony Morrison's break then set up Middleton for his hat-trick.

Morrison was soon on the scoresheet himself, following up Ford's kick. Ellis then went within inches of his hat- trick, but Ian Smales scored in any event and Tony Smith took Castleford beyond the half-century before Davies got a late reply for Leigh.

Castleford: Steadman; Ellis, Smith, Anderson, Middleton; Kemp (Hay, 59), Ford; Crooks (Sampson, 33), Russell, Ketteridge, Morrison, Smales, Nikau.

Leigh: Winstanley (Fletcher, 56); Cawley, Davies, Martin, Pratt; Gunning, Hanger; Costello, Rowley, Hansen, Collier, Booth (Daniel, 33), Baldwin (Booth, 40).

Referee: J Smith (Huddersfield).