Leigh are a squad building momentum. With a lot of new, young faces joining over the summer, it was always going to take a few games for things to 'click', but click they did this weekend with Leigh running out (in the end) comfortable winners against a Maidstone squad that was topping the table having dispatched both Whitstable and Medway in emphatic fashion in the opening two rounds of the league.

The pressure and tension was high as the game kicked off and that tension played out into quite a cagy opening set of exchanges. Maidstone looked strong and clearly full of confidence while the young Leigh XV were equally keen to not take a backward step.

First blood went to Maidstone with fullback Ben Tugwell crashing over for the opening try of the game after a period of sustained pressure. With the conversion missed, Leigh trailed 0-5. Slipping behind seemed to spur the home team on and both attacking and defensive intensity were raised.

Leigh responded well and levelled the score around 10 minutes later with Co-Captain Will McDowell opening the home account out wide. It proved to be just a bit too wide and the conversion went astray meaning the scores remained level at 5-5.

Leigh were to slip behind again however as the Maidstone loosehead prop took the visitors over the line for a second time, this time converted by Ed Monksfield to set up a 5-12 lead for the visitors. It was to be short lived however as Yas Shiraishi-Miles powered over from close range to set up an easy conversion for Jake Bright to add the extras as half time rolled around 12-12.

At the start of the second half, Leigh were first to score with a converted try only a few minutes after the restart for Hector Ashby pushed them back into a lead but Maidstone chipped back with an unconverted efforted from openside Rhys Tolley while both Reece Bright and Ben Tugwell were enjoying a ten minute breather in the sin bin following a little scuffle.

With the score at 19-17, the home team kicked into overdrive, with further tries from Jake Sheldon, Louis Veneziani and Harry Butler all converted by fly half Jake Bright saw the lead grow and grow.

Maidstone fought back hard and built their intensity. Clearly keen not to go down without a fight they kept on coming but Leigh's young backs, largely playing their first season of senior rugby were animals in defence with some crunching tackles coming in from Charlie and Jack Parker as well as Hector and Peter Ashby with both sets of brothers belying their inexperience at senior level and smashing anyone who dared run down their respective channels.

The whole Leigh squad can be hugely proud of this performance. There are a lot of positives to take into next week's game against Whitstable II, once again at the FOD.

See you there?