It is thirty-nine years since a Leigh side travelled to Salford and came away with the points and despite Leigh being second in the table against seventh paced Salford, the bookies still thought that it would be the Red Devils who would win a close game as they gave the Leopards a two-point start on the handicap coupon.

A win for the home side would lift them back into the top six but it was the Leopards aspirations of the minor premiership which were on the line as they needed the two points to keep them in touch with the Catalans Dragons at the top of the table.

There had never been an ‘East Lancs Road’ derby with more to play for and less certainty as to who would emerge victorious.

Salford had the best of the opening exchanges and on nine minutes Ken Sio picked up a poor bounce pass to turn bad into good as he sprinted for the corner and open the account for the home side. Marc Sneyd was just wide with his conversion attempt.

Leigh levelled the scores on seventeen after a John Asiata carry, dummy, and pass to Ed Chamberlain to score by the posts. Reynolds added the conversion to edge the Leopards into the lead. It took just two minutes for the Leopards to extend their lead after Danny Addy conceded a penalty in his own half, Asiata throwing a miss-out pass to Ricky Leutele to leap over and score in the corner. Reynolds was off target this time, Leigh 10-4 ahead.

A Sneyd 40-20 gave Salford a brilliant attacking opportunity and on the second tackle the play was moved right for King Vuniyayawa to hit the defence and stretch for the line to score. Sneyd added the extras, and the sides were level with thirty-one on the clock.

Tom Burgess had an eighty metre try ruled out on thirty-four minutes after Tim Lafai had dislodged the ball from Gareth O’Brien’s grasp with a thumping tackle, the referee spotting a knock-on.

A minute before the interval Andy Ackers edged the Red Devils back into the lead as he threw the dummy to Brodie Croft before bouncing off the Leigh defenders and dropping over the line. Sneyd added the conversion for 16-10 at the interval, a great game played in a brilliant atmosphere.

Rain greeted the players back to the field, adding an extra variable to what promised to be a ferocious second half.

After a Salford interception they turned defence into attack with Ben Hellewell grounding a Brodie Croft grubber kick through a broken Leigh defence. Sneyd hit the mark with the conversion attempt for 22-10.

Leigh weren’t throwing the towel in, and on fifty, Lachlan Lam ran the angle to score the Leopards third try of the afternoon. Reynolds was on the mark with his kick, the margin back to six points.

A mess of errors in the Salford half saw the ball hacked forwards twice before Zak Hardaker picked up the loose ball to dot down over the line. Reynolds added the goal and the sides were all square once again with fourteen minutes remaining.

Sneyd attempted a drop goal from close and in plenty of space but his kick went wide on seventy-one.

Salford conceded a penalty a minute later, and after the referee was talked back to by Vuniyayawa, the range was reduced by ten metres, Ben Reynolds kicking the goal to edge his side to victory, all down to Salford’s poor discipline.

There were times in this game when the Leopards looked as though they would slip to a third loss to Salford in 2023, but they stuck with it and levered themselves back into the game, eventually picking up the points thanks to a moment of madness from Salford in challenging a referee’s decision. Reynolds and Lam controlled the game, Asiata more than playing his part, but Salford were left smarting that they couldn’t make it back into the six.

The Leigh Leopards dream goes on, next step a Challenge Cup semi-final date against St Helens next weekend.

Salford Red Devils: Brierley, Sio (T), Cross, Lafai, Burgess, Croft, Sneyd (3G), Ormondroyd, Ackers (T), Dupree, Stone, Addy, Atkin.  Subs:  Vuniyayawa (T), Sidlow, Bourouh, Hellewell (T). 18th Man: Costello.

Leigh Leopards: O’Brien, Briscoe, Hardaker (T), Leutele (T), Charnley, Reynolds (4G), Lam (T), Amone, Mellor, Mulhern, Chamberlain (T), Hughes, Asiata. Subs: Nakubuwai, Holmes, Wilde, Davis. 18th Man: Seumanufagai.  

Half-Time: 16-10.

Full-Time: 22-24.

Score Progression: 4-0, 4-4, 4-6, 4-10, 8-10, 10-10, 14-10, 16-10 : HT: 20-10, 22-10, 22-14, 22-16, 22-20, 22-22, 22-24 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: Salford – Square – Leigh – Square – Salford – Square - Leigh.

Referee: Ben Thaler.