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Betfred Super League
Leigh (6) 16
Tries: Niu 2, Senior Goals: Cook 2
Catalans (6) 22
Tries: Wilson, Staines, Dodd Goals: Sexton 5
Catalans Dragons returned to winning ways following back-to-back Super League defeats with a narrow victory at Leigh Leopards.
Tries from Harvey Wilson, Charlie Staines and Lewis Dodd breathed new fire into the Dragons following disappointing defeats by St Helens and Bradford Bulls in their past two matches.
Tesi Niu scored two terrific tries for Leigh, either side of winger Innes Senior's score, but it proved to be in vain for the hosts.
Leigh have now lost three Super League matches in a row and will need to see an improvement in performances if they are to be in the play-off shake-up again this year.
The visitors' preparation for the match was hit when a mechanical fault on their plane from Perpignan forced them to make an emergency landing in Bordeaux, meaning their journey to Greater Manchester took 16 hours to complete.
And they were dealt a further blow before kick-off when winger Tommy Makinson picked up an injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced in the starting line-up by Leo Darrelatour.
In the eighth minute, Leigh took advantage when excellent hands from Lachlan Lam allowed stand-in full-back Gareth O'Brien to find Senior, who raced clear before setting up Niu to slide in for a superb team try. Adam Cook added the extras superbly from the touchline.
Lam was then adjudged to have blocked off Nick Cotric's attempts to challenge for a high ball, and after Catalans were awarded another set of six deep in Leigh territory, Wilson went over determinedly for his first Super League try of the season under the sticks.
Catalans then went close to taking the lead before the break but Darrelatour was pushed into touch when attempting to score in the left corner.
Moments after the restart, Toby Sexton kicked Catalans into a slight advantage in front of the sticks after Liam Horne was found guilty of a ball steal.
A beautiful offload from Wigan Warriors loanee Kruise Leeming - one of 11 new signings from last season in Catalans' matchday squad - allowed Sexton to charge forward before he found Staines, who finished an exceptional move from close range.
Catalans' two-score lead lasted less than five minutes though as O'Brien found Niu and he passed to winger Senior, who dived over in the left corner unopposed.
A no-look pass from Lam then went loose and was pounced upon by Darrelatour. He raced 80 yards and intelligently recycled the ball before Sexton found fellow half-back Dodd for a crucial third try for the away side.
With 15 minutes left, Niu pulled off the moment of the match, picking the ball up deep in his own half, skipping a challenge from Cotric, before deceiving Staines with excellent footwork to dive over for a wonderful individual score.
In the dying moments, Leigh piled on the pressure in their quest to find a winning score, but excellent defending from the Dragons snuffed out their attempts, and the visitors put the seal on the win through Sexton's fifth successful kick shortly before the hooter sounded.
Leigh: O'Brien; Senior, Niu, Brand, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Trout, McNamara, Mulhern, Halton, Alick-Wiencke, Liu.
Interchanges: Hughes, Brown, Badrock, Horne.
Catalans: Staines; Darrelatour, Cotric, Faataape, Laulu-Togaga'e; Sexton, Dodd; Allen, Da Costa, Navarrete, Laguerre, Lipowicz, Wilson.
Interchanges: Satae, Condon, Leeming, Chan.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
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Leigh (6) 16
Tries: Niu 2, Senior Goals: Cook 2
Catalans (6) 22
Tries: Wilson, Staines, Dodd Goals: Sexton 5
Catalans Dragons returned to winning ways following back-to-back Super League defeats with a narrow victory at Leigh Leopards.
Tries from Harvey Wilson, Charlie Staines and Lewis Dodd breathed new fire into the Dragons following disappointing defeats by St Helens and Bradford Bulls in their past two matches.
Tesi Niu scored two terrific tries for Leigh, either side of winger Innes Senior's score, but it proved to be in vain for the hosts.
Leigh have now lost three Super League matches in a row and will need to see an improvement in performances if they are to be in the play-off shake-up again this year.
The visitors' preparation for the match was hit when a mechanical fault on their plane from Perpignan forced them to make an emergency landing in Bordeaux, meaning their journey to Greater Manchester took 16 hours to complete.
And they were dealt a further blow before kick-off when winger Tommy Makinson picked up an injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced in the starting line-up by Leo Darrelatour.
In the eighth minute, Leigh took advantage when excellent hands from Lachlan Lam allowed stand-in full-back Gareth O'Brien to find Senior, who raced clear before setting up Niu to slide in for a superb team try. Adam Cook added the extras superbly from the touchline.
Lam was then adjudged to have blocked off Nick Cotric's attempts to challenge for a high ball, and after Catalans were awarded another set of six deep in Leigh territory, Wilson went over determinedly for his first Super League try of the season under the sticks.
Catalans then went close to taking the lead before the break but Darrelatour was pushed into touch when attempting to score in the left corner.
Moments after the restart, Toby Sexton kicked Catalans into a slight advantage in front of the sticks after Liam Horne was found guilty of a ball steal.
A beautiful offload from Wigan Warriors loanee Kruise Leeming - one of 11 new signings from last season in Catalans' matchday squad - allowed Sexton to charge forward before he found Staines, who finished an exceptional move from close range.
Catalans' two-score lead lasted less than five minutes though as O'Brien found Niu and he passed to winger Senior, who dived over in the left corner unopposed.
A no-look pass from Lam then went loose and was pounced upon by Darrelatour. He raced 80 yards and intelligently recycled the ball before Sexton found fellow half-back Dodd for a crucial third try for the away side.
With 15 minutes left, Niu pulled off the moment of the match, picking the ball up deep in his own half, skipping a challenge from Cotric, before deceiving Staines with excellent footwork to dive over for a wonderful individual score.
In the dying moments, Leigh piled on the pressure in their quest to find a winning score, but excellent defending from the Dragons snuffed out their attempts, and the visitors put the seal on the win through Sexton's fifth successful kick shortly before the hooter sounded.
Leigh: O'Brien; Senior, Niu, Brand, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Trout, McNamara, Mulhern, Halton, Alick-Wiencke, Liu.
Interchanges: Hughes, Brown, Badrock, Horne.
Catalans: Staines; Darrelatour, Cotric, Faataape, Laulu-Togaga'e; Sexton, Dodd; Allen, Da Costa, Navarrete, Laguerre, Lipowicz, Wilson.
Interchanges: Satae, Condon, Leeming, Chan.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths.
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