Monday 18 May 2015 08:12, UK
Leigh overturned a 22-0 deficit to dump Wakefield out of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup and extend their club record winning run to 25 matches.
The Championship pacesetters turned the sixth-round tie on its head with five second-half tries, with former Wakefield forward Oliver Wilkes scoring the match-winner eight minutes from the end.
The Centurions, who knocked out Salford in the last round, had trailed for most of the match but rallied magnificently and fully deserved their 36-30 success, which puts them within two games of a trip to Wembley.
It was from an error by centre Michael Platt that Wakefield opened the scoring on seven minutes, prop Nick Scruton demonstrating quick thinking to get winger Chris Riley on a 70-metre run to the line.
Scruton was also a try-scorer after charging onto a short pass from hooker McShane while centre Joe Arundel touched down neat grubber kicks from Tim Smith and McShane to grab a first-half brace.
At 22-0, it was beginning to look ugly for the Championship leaders but their 1,000-strong fans eventually had something to cheer when scrum-half Ryan Brierley pulled a try back on 32 minutes after a rare run at the Wildcats defence.
Martyn Ridyard's goal cut the deficit to 22-6 but Wakefield full-back Craig Hall kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time, to add to his three conversions, to put more daylight between the teams.
Both teams were reduced to 12 men for 10 minutes soon after the break when Kirmond and his former team-mate Liam Kay were sin-binned for coming to blows and the visitors scored from the resultant penalty when right winger Jonny Pownall accepted Brierley's cut-out pass to touch down at the corner.
A 40-20 kick from Ridyard kept Leigh on the front foot and, after Wakefield stand-off Jacob Miller was pulled up for a spear tackle on Brierley, skipper Bob Beswick forced his way over from close range for his side's third try.
And it was all square on 56 minutes when Brierley re-gathered his own chip kick over the Wakefield defence to get centre Tom Armstrong over for the try of the match, which Ridyard goaled.
Wakefield went back in front on 61 minutes when substitute Jon Molloy went over for their fifth try and Hall added the conversion but it did little to halt Leigh's momentum.
Another 40-20 kick, this time from Beswick, set up the position for forward Sam Hopkins to charge over for a try that once more levelled the scores.
The Centurions went in front for the first time eight minutes from the end when Kay kept the ball alive and Beswick got Wilkes over for the all-important try.
Kevin Brown masterminded Widnes Vikings' shaky passage to victory over Batley and a Challenge Cup quarter-final against trophy favourites St Helens.
The Widnes skipper scored two tries and helped create two others for Lloyd White and Patrick Ah Van to end the plucky Bulldogs' giant-killing hopes.
But it was a tremendous effort by the Championship side, who fought back from 26-6 down early in the second half to trail only 26-22 with 12 minutes left.
Two tries from Wayne Reittie, sandwiched by another from Matt Fozzard, stunned Widnes who were relieved to hang on for a nervy victory.
Catalans Dragons scored two tries in the last eight minutes to stave off the threat of a shock defeat by part-time visitors Featherstone in the sixth round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.
Rovers lost 70-12 on their only previous trip to Perpignan for a fourth-round tie in 2007 but they were 34-30 ahead and eyeing a trip to Hull KR in the quarter-finals until French internationals Morgan Escare and Thomas Bosc touched down late on to deny them.
Stan Robin kicked a drop goal to finally secure a 37-34 victory for the Super League side, who were reduced to 12 men with the dismissal of former Wigan prop Jeff Lima.
Former Dragon Remy Marginet almost came back to haunt his old side as Featherstone pushed the Dragons all the way, kicking five goals from five attempts.
