Catalans Dragons snatch last-gasp Super League victory over Leigh Centurions
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 07/07/17 11:10am
Julien Bousquet scored a last-minute try as Catalans Dragons came from behind to beat Super League's bottom side Leigh Centurions 40-36.
Ben Reynolds scored 20 points for the visitors in Perpignan, including a penalty which restored their lead with five minutes remaining, but Leigh were unable to convert a 16-point half-time advantage into victory.
Matt Dawson, Danny Tickle and Reynolds went over as Leigh dominated the opening stages, only for Jodie Broughton and Mickael Simon to reduce the deficit before a Sam Hopkins double restored Leigh's dominance before the interval.
Simon and Vincent Duport went over to give Catalans two tries in as many minutes after the break, and after Reynolds crossed again, tries from Sam Moa and Justin Horo levelled the scores and set up a tense last 10 minutes.
A Reynolds penalty put Leigh ahead before Bosquet powered over in the dying seconds.
The win was Catalans first since Steve McNamara took over as head coach, but it was a result that looked unlikely as Leigh stormed out of the blocks.
Cory Paterson almost created a try-scoring opportunity in the second minute, before a Krisnan Inu knock-on gave the visitors field position to attack and Glenn Stewart picked out Dawson to send the winger over.
Leigh doubled their lead when Paterson's quick play allowed Liam Hood to send Tickle charging over close to the posts.
Reynolds dummied to the supporting Tickle before darting through some poor Catalans defence to touch down, with Reynolds' third goal giving the visitors an 18-0 lead after 18 minutes.
Catalans responded, with Broughton going over in the right corner and Luke Walsh's flat pass sending prop Simon over to score.
A Reynolds kick down the right was allowed to bounce by Fouad Yaha. Ben Crooks collected the loose ball and passed inside to the supporting Hopkins, who touched down to score before completing his brace just before the interval when a Leigh scrum led to a penalty and Reynolds sent him in under the posts.
Ben Crooks was sent to the sin bin for kicking out and punching and Catalans took advantage of their numerical supremacy as Paul Aiton and Tony Gigot combined to send in Simon, before Gigot picked up and ran down the short side and, via Walsh, found Duport.
Reynolds acrobatically touched down Josh Drinkwater's grubber but again Catalans came back into the match as Moa was first to Walsh's low kick.
Greg Bird sent Horo charging over to score down the right and Walsh's fifth goal levelled the scores at 34-34, only for a Reynolds penalty to give the Centurions a two-point lead.
With the seconds running down, Aiton attacked the Leigh line and managed to offload the ball to Bousquet, who charged over from short range to score the match-winning try.
