Leigh Centurions 62 Keighley Cougars 12

Paul March labelled his side’s second-half performance “an embarrassment” after his side slumped to a heavy defeat at Leigh.

Keighley’s sixth successive loss saw them drop to the bottom of the table.

Yet a battling first-half display gave no indication of the capitulation to come after the break.

March said: “It was a game of two halves.

“We were 22-6 down at half-time and the game could have gone either way in the second half.

“For the amount of effort we showed before the break, we should have got more out of it.

“But in the second half we were an embarrassment to ourselves.

“We let people down, especially the supporters who travelled to watch us.”

Leigh full back Greg McNally opened the scoring for the first of his four tries but Cougars debutant Ben Stead hit back with a score that Scott Leatherbarrow converted.

Centurions regained the initiative by half-time with two more tries and then ran away with it after the break, Jonathan Pownall weighing in with a hat-trick as the hosts clocked up 11 tries.

Bob Beswick, James Taylor, Steve Maden and Anthony Nicholson also touched down, while McNally kicked nine goals.

Half-back Stead earned some consolation for Cougars with his second try, which Leatherbarrow converted.

Along with fellow debutant Rob Hawthorne, who was at centre, Stead provided March with one of the few positives.

The head-coach said: “They both contributed very well in the first half, it’s just a pity that some of the lads around them didn’t help them after the break.”

Now Cougars face a massive game at home to Workington on Thursday which they need to win to ease their relegation worries.

March (ribs) was one of a number of players sidelined with injury but he said: “We didn’t pick any fresh injuries up and we hope to have Joe Chandler, James Haley, myself and possibly a new signing in for Thursday.”

March is demanding an improvement after the hiding at Leigh, adding: “We’ve only played for 40 minutes here – that’s got to change and change quick.

“When we get tired we fall back into old habits. Certain individuals are not doing what they should be doing.”