A seemingly unstoppable Leigh Leopards side fresh from their cup victory over St Helens last weekend travelled the short distance to the DW Stadium to take on a Wigan Warriors side still smarting from their own cup exit at the hands of Hull KR.

A win for the home side would lift them level on points with their opponents but victory for Leigh would lift the, level with the Catalans Dragons in top place going into the final quarter of the season.

Wigan were the favourites with the bookies with the Leopards having been given an eight point start on the coupon, the Leopards underdogs to overcome a 40 year Wigan drought.

It has been a frantic opening and on twelve minutes, after Liam Farrell had conceded a penalty after slapping Zak Hardaker aroun the back of his head, Tom Amone broke through the line and scored a try way too easily as he walked through the broken defence. Ben Reynolds added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Wigan’s first try came on eighteen thanks to the three ‘F’s’ as Liam Farrell, Jai Field and Bevan French combined for a break over fifty metres, Farrell doing the lionshare of the work. Harry Smith added the conversion and we were all square.

Terrible Leigh defending in thirty-six saw the lead switch to Wigan after Abbas Miski put in a grubber which ricocheted off a Leigh player into the hands of Toby King to pick up and go over in the corner. Smith was wide with conversion kick, Wigan 10-6 up.

Five seconds before the interval there was a massive moment in the game as a Miski grubber was grounded by French. Smith kicked the touchline conversion for 16-6 at the interval.

Leigh needed to be first over the line in the second half to stop the game getting away from them but on forty-seven Tyler Dupree scored a debut try, striding through a weak Leigh defence to score behind the stocks. Smiths conversion was a simple one for 22-6, the game close to being over as a competition.

On fifty-two a Miski interception saw the Warriors winger sprint home from eighty metres out to avoid being tackled by Hardaker until he was already in goal. Smith belted the conversion through the uprights from the right touchline for 28-6.

Miski got another on twenty, an incredible one-handed try in the corner with the majority of his body airborne over the touchline. Smith was unable to add the conversion but at 32-6 the Warriors were running away with the game.

Liam Marshall strolled through a broken Leigh defence on the hour mark to score unopposed as he weaved between Leigh bodies. Smith added the conversion for 38-6, Wigan rampant.

Tom Briscoe grabbed a consolation try on sixty-eight after taking a Gareth O’Brien pass to ground in the corner. Reynolds was on target with the touchline conversion for 12-38.

Miski completed his hat-trick on seventy-two to crown a near perfect personal afternoon as he went in from fifty metres. Smith added the extras, Wigan with one eye on the fifty.

Two minutes from time Rob Mulhern added a little more respectability to the Leigh scoreline as he dotted down under the sticks. Reynolds added the extras for a final score of 44-18 in Wigan’s favour.

Wigan leapfrog the Leopards into second spot after a convincing win in the ‘Battle of the Borough’ and secured local bragging rights in some style. Abbas Miski had one of the games of his career as he created two tries and scored too more.

Wigan Warriors: Field, Miski (3T), King (T), Wardle, Marshall (T), French (2T), Smith (5G), Ellis, O’Neill, Byrne, Pearce-Paul, Farrell, Smithies. Subs: Cust, Mago, Nsemba, Dupree (T). 18th Man: Hill.

Leigh Leopards: O’Brien (T), Briscoe, Hardaker, Chamberlain, Charley, Reynolds (3G), Lam, Amone (T), Mellor, Mulhern (T), Holmes, Hughes, Asiata. Subs: Nakubuwai, Wardle, Wilde, Davis. 18th Man: Smith.

Scoreline Advance: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 10-6, 14-6, 16-6 : HT: 20-6, 22-6, 26-6, 28-6, 32-6, 36-6, 38-6, 38-10, 38-12, 42-12, 44-12, 44-16, 44-18 : FT.

Lead Exchanges: Leigh - Square - Wigan.

Referee: Jack Smith.