Millward's team have lost just three league games so far this campaign

Leigh Centurions coach Ian Millward says their Northern Rail Cup semi-final defeat by Batley was "devastating".

The Bulldogs, who also beat the Centurions 32-12 on Sunday, booked their first place in a major final for 58 years with a surprise 25-4 victory.

Millward told BBC Radio Manchester: "It is devastating.

"You work your way through the group stages and then the quarter-final to the semi-final and you feel like you're getting pretty close."

He added: "There will probably be a lot of talk as to what the ramifications are for us to go forward now.

"Having said that, we're still in the league and we're running second.

There's no reason why we can't finish in the top four - no reason why we can't finish in the top two Ian Millward

"We've got a great opportunity to push forward. We're away now for a month after a home game next week against Keighley - we need to win there.

"Then we're away for a month because of ground renovations. So we've got some really tough games. But if we get through that, there's no reason why we won't make the play-offs.

"There's no reason why we can't finish in the top four - no reason why we can't finish in the top two. And we'll take it from there.

"Plenty of teams have lost Challenge Cups and gone on and won Super League.

"And plenty of teams will lose a Northern Rail semi-final and go on to win the [league] comp so we've got to be one of them."

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