LEIGH EAST 18 V 10 LEIGH MINERS RANGERS
Leigh Miners poor run of form continued yesterday afternoon with an 18-10 derby defeat to arch rivals Leigh East at LSV, Miners can have no complaints with the result and cannot expect to win matches when they are turning the ball over so cheaply and doing so much extra defending on the back of it. The home side dominated the opening quarter with all the field position camping themselves on the Miners line, Miners defence stood strong for a spell but with the amount of ball they was turning over in attack the East pressure finally cracked the Miners defence when Ryan Peters cut through a gap to score to the left of the sticks, Danny Kilshaw adding the conversion to give East a 6-0 lead. Miners responded with a good spell of pressure themselves and after completing a few sets they had the home side on the back foot and from that prop Kevin Howells crashed over at the side of the posts, Tom Bradbury converting to tie the game up at 6-6. From the try the visitors continued to go forward strongly gaining good yards down the middle, with Miners getting on top they were rewarded a penalty for a high tackle, but with the kick failing to find touch the home side took full advantage shifting the ball down the right for winger Kevin Murphy to race away to score to swing the momentum back in East favour, Adrian Dootson landing the conversion to give the score 12-6. Leigh East was lifted by that try and was in for a third soon after when full back Mark Kay went over, Dootson again converting to give the Red & Blacks a deserved 18-6 advantage.
In the second half Miners had the better of the field position, East having chances themselves but with Miners needing a try to get themselves back into the contest they was looking to play as much inside the home sides half as possible. They were rewarded when Leon Brennan grabbed Miners second try in the left hand corner around the hour mark to reduce the deficit to eight points with a score of 18-10. But that’s has good as it got for Miners and as the game wore on both sides worked hard in the hot conditions, Leigh East were not to be denied of a second successive derby victory winning the match 18-10 and will no doubt be full of confidence of wrapping up a league double over Miners when the teams meet again in three weeks at Twist Lane.
Miners entertain Wigan St Judes this coming Friday with a 7-30pm kick off at Twist Lane.
EAST TEAM = Kay, Groves, Dootson, Hunter, Murphy, Peters, Kilshaw, Walker, Johnson, Rowley, Smith, Stevens, Redford, SUBS= Radley, Mort, Gregson, Robertson
MOM = Danny Kilshaw
MINERS TEAM = Dainty, Skinkis, Gray, Bradbury, Ravenscroft, Brennan, Smith, Connor, Farrimond, Kay, Thomason, Jackson, Jones, SUBS = Harrison, Kenny, Appleby, Howells
MOM – Darryl Kay
