GARETH O’BRIEN was Leigh’s golden boy after Super League’s big build up was left literally pointless.
Not even Michael Buffer could make either side ready to rumble as they amazingly battled out a scoreless 80 minutes.
UNBELIEVABLE, WHAT A MOMENT! 🤯
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Gareth O'brien kicks it in to give Leigh Leopards the WIN IN GOLDEN POINT! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cyLEHfAXcz
PALeigh stars mob match-winner Gareth O’Brien[/caption]
Michael Buffer was on the mic in Wigan
The legendary announcer reeled out his familiar phrase as battle began once again.
But it was more like grumbles in the crowd as the sides largely cancelled each other out in a defensive slugfest.
This was the first pointless 80 minutes in the competition’s history and the first match without a score since a Cumbrian clash between Workington and Whitehaven in December 1993.
But after two minutes 20 seconds of golden point extra time, O’Brien stroked over the winner to hand Leigh their first win at Wigan in 42 years.
Jake Wardle and Luke Thompson went close as Wigan started well – Leigh were clinging on yet only Wardle’s positioning stopped the Leopards pouncing on a break.
Buffer may be used to knockout blows but after the big build-up, this ended up more like a game of chess or a staring contest.
Super League saw history 28 seconds into the second half as Wigan’s Liam Farrell made the competition’s first ever Captain’s Challenge – typically, he lost.
The longer the game dragged on scoreless, Wigan’s frustration grew and skipper Farrell was sin binned for kicking the ball away.
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PALeigh Leopards won by an unusual scoreline[/caption]
Jai Field skipped through challenges but his try was ruled out by video ref Jack Smith for Liam Marshall stripping the ball from Edwin Ipape.
It ended up a farce as the sides waited as the stadium clock would not work but O’Brien made Leigh the first 1-0 winners since Barrow beat Hull KR in October 1994.
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