Josh Charnley hat-trick plays key role in Leigh success at Hull

A Josh Charnley hat-trick was pivotal in Leigh’s return to winning ways at the MKM Stadium as they saw off Hull FC this afternoon.

Coming into the game with identical records, it was the visitors who seized the initiative after just five minutes as Jack O’Donnell crashed over the try line to open the scoring. The returning Ben Reynolds converted the kick to give Leigh the perfect start.

Just a minute later and it would get even better for the Leythers. Following FC’s restart going out on the full, Charnley opened his account for the afternoon with a neat try finished off in the left corner. The winger would then double his tally with almost a carbon copy of his first effort. Reynolds then added the extras to extend the lead to 16-0 after just fifteen minutes.

With frustration ringing around the home sections of the MKM, it took Hull twenty minutes to conjure up a meaningful attack , but Jake Clifford saw his try ruled out for obstruction. However, just minutes later Davy Litten went over in the corner to score the home side’s first points of the encounter, with Clifford narrowing the score.

Ligi Sao was then sent to the sin-bin with seconds of the first half remaining for a high shot, and Reynolds’ kick off target saw the half-time score read 16-6 to Leigh.

With work to do in the second 40, Hull came out with a point to prove, as Josh Griffin almost reached the line but was forced into a ball spill through some great defensive play. Having rode the storm, Leigh then scored the first points of the half through another Reynolds penalty.

Sao’s afternoon then went from bad to worse, as he was sent to the sin-bin for a second time, and his side’s defence was picked apart again. Another flowing move saw the ball end up in the hands of Charnley, and he went over for his hat-trick.

With the game seemingly out of Hull’s reach, they did make a contest out of the final quarter. Firstly Jake Clifford took advantage of a line-break before Liam Sutcliffe powered over nine minutes from time. With Clifford only converting one of his kicks, it left FC six points behind with only seven minutes to go.

However, the game was eventually put out of their reach as Reynolds’ converted another penalty to settle the game at 24-16.

Leigh boss Adrian Lam was extremely pleased with his side’s efforts to come away with the two points;

“We’ve been working really hard, I think we only made four errors in the whole game.

“That’s what you have to do to win away from home.”

The Leopards’ next fixture is against Lam’s former side Wigan, and he is looking forward to the prospect;

“Its a Local derby, the Battle of the Borough. Its where we want to be as a club in these big televised games.”

Meanwhile, Black and Whites Head Coach Tony Smith lamented the performance of his team, especially in the opening exchanges;

“Its disappointing, It took us way too long to build anything. We’ve got to get out of the habit of starting slow and not adjusting to what our opponents are doing.

“The first ten minutes isn’t something we’re proud of, even though it went on for longer.

“When you consider how average we were in that period of the game, we actually gave ourselves a chance.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Leigh. I’ve said it all week, they’re a good team.”

Smith also returns to a former club next weekend, as Hull travel to a high-flying Warrington looking to end a run of four successive defeats.