HULL DOCKERS (HOME)
Leigh Miners entertain Hull Dockers on Saturday in Round 16 of the NCL Kingstone Press Cider Premier Division, Kick off 2-30pm at Twist Lane.
Miners go into Saturdays clash in good form having won their last four matches and are eager to extend that run to five against a Hull Dockers side who beat Miners convincingly 34-12 back in April at The Willows. The lads will be looking to execute there plays better this week and be a little smarter with ball in hand in good ball after not being as clinical as they would have liked against St Pats, the game being in the balance right until full time when really Miners should have been out of sight much sooner than that. In defence Miners will want the same tough, hard working attitude as last week but will be looking to cut out the needless penalties, with them conceding far to many especially in the first half, to put themselves under large spells of pressure in the warm conditions which could have easily been avoided with better discipline. The men from Twist Lane know they are in for a tough game against Dockers and certainly wont be underestimating the Hull outfit as they look to continue in their aim of securing a top six spot with another two points but more importantly keeping that unbeaten home record intact.
Coach Paul Whitworth will make three changes from the win at St Pats in the absence of Allan Coleman, who is away on holiday for the next three matches. Gary Gittins Sean MacDonald and Mark Nicholson all drop out of the seventeen, with Matt Astley, Shaun Dowie who returns from a one match ban and Leon Brennan who returns to the club having recently returned from a stint in Australia and before that having a two year spell with North Wales Crusaders.
Hull Dockers will be coming down the M62 in a confident mood having climbed out of the bottom three in the last couple of weeks with a 28-28 home draw against Lock Lane and a 42-16 home win against Wigan St Judes last weekend. Dockers currently sit in 10th position and are looking to keep climbing up the ladder over the coming weeks to avoid getting trapped into a late relegation battle to stay in the top flight. The green and whites have a good record against Miners in the summer era and have really picked up over the last couple of months to pick up some valuable points.
Leigh Miners 2nd team are away on Saturday against Widnes West Bank in the league, Kick off 2-30pm.
The u18s & Ladies both have free weekends.
