NCL: Leigh East 28 Hensingham 16
LEIGH EAST 28
HENSINGHAM 16
By Dave Parkinson
Leigh East picked up a good win over competitive Cumbrians Hensingham, scoring two tries in the last ten minutes after the visitors had pegged it back to 16-all.
East made the better start and claimed the first score after 18 minutes when top scorer Ellis Noon went over for an unconverted score.
Within eight minutes, Hensingham were in front after Luke Charlton replied and Callum Sirkett booted the first of four goals.
This sparked the hosts into action and two tries from a couple of the next generation of East first-team players had them in front. Both fullback Kieran Prescott and scrum-half Kieran Wilkinson have impressed in recent weeks and that form continued with Wilkinson adding one goal to take East 14-6 clear.
Sirkett put another two points on the scoreboard before the half-time whistle with a penalty and although Wilkinson responded with an East penalty after 52 minutes, Hensingham were to level the contest.
First Steve Smith scored and then two goals from Sirkett had it all locked on the hour.
Thankfully for East it was they who broke the deadlock as Ellis Noon scored from a scrum before veteran hooker Safraz Jama rolled back the years witha smartly taken try under the posts. Two more goals from Wilkinson completed a good afternoon for East, who won 28-16.
