Leigh 10-23 Hull KR: Match Stats
Leigh tries: Burr (20), Naughton (23)
Conversions/Penalties: Reynolds (20)
Hull KR tries: Shaw (3,77), Lawler (9), Greenwood (38)
Conversions/Penalties: Ellis (3,39,79)
Drop Goals: Ellis (71)
Match report
Kingstone Press Championship leaders Hull KR dumped Betfred Super League strugglers Leigh out of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup with a deserved 23-10 win at the Sports Village.
Former Leigh half-back Jamie Ellis was instrumental for the Robins, who surrendered an early 10-0 lead before finishing the game strongly with Ryan Shaw scoring a second try in the dying minutes.
Hull KR, beaten Challenge Cup finalists at Wembley as recently as 2015, led in only the second minute when Shaw was first to react to a wayward pass and raced to the tryline from halfway. Jamie Ellis added the conversion.
The visitors continued to dominate and scored a second try in the eighth minute. Ellis prodded a kick through and there was second rower George Lawler to ground the ball. Ellis was unable to kick the goal.
Having endured a horror start, Leigh started to enjoy more possession and they got off the mark in the 19th minute. Josh Drinkwater took on the Hull KR defensive line before sending a pass to Lachlan Burr who charged in from close range. Ben Reynolds kicked the conversion.
The Super League side were level a few minutes later when some quick passing to the left gave winger Curtis Naughton just enough space to score from 10 metres. Reynolds was wayward with the conversion.
But with only two minutes of the half remaining, the visitors regained the lead when stand-off Jordan Abdull sent out a well-timed pass to James Greenwood who was able to cut through and score a try which Ellis converted.
Neil Jukes' men had plenty of possession in the second half but they were continually thwarted by some determined defence from the Championship side.
Jamie Acton was held up over they tryline in the 61st minute then Leigh saw a try disallowed for a forward pass with Curtis Naughton denied after taking Drinkwater's looping pass.
Having weathered the storm, an Ellis drop goal looked to have sealed the win while Shaw's second late try capped a fine afternoon for Tim Sheens' Robins as they handed Leigh a sixth successive defeat in all competitions.
