With temperatures soaring and a place in the semi-finals at stake this was a pressure-cooker atmosphere and whilst the rugby might not have hit the heights Miners have shown themselves capable of achieving this season, their bloody-minded resolve in defence, particularly in the second half when Shaw Cross threw everything at their hosts, was enough to earn a place in the last four and a home tie against Milford. The Sharks made light of the two division gap between the sides but they were ultimately partly responsible for their own downfall as the dismissal of influential loose-forward Zach Johnson ten minutes from time took the momentum out of their fightback. Miners will also reflect on two disallowed tries and two other scoring chances which were passed up and which would have made the afternoon a far more relaxing one.

One of the biggest crowds of the season enjoyed the day’s entertainment including junior curtain raisers and the promise of the Alliance team fixture to come. Miners were without Darryl Kay on international duty and Danny Jones with work commitments, Kevin Howells and Sean MacDonald returning. The Sharks arrived on a ten match winning streak but in the opening stages Miners appeared to have got their measure as they opened up a 10-0 lead. Miners almost fashioned the breakthrough when the outstanding Liam Coleman stormed away and the inside pass to Jimmy Muir was knocked down by fullback Derrell Olpherts. From the scrum the ball was switched left and Martin Gray cut through the gap at the left to score his first of the season. From the restart Miners were in again, Muir wriggling away on half way and drawing the fullback before putting Scott O’Brien over for the score, Jonny Youds goaling for 10-0 and seemingly the foundations were laid for an easy afternoon’s work. That could indeed have been the case had a third home try not been disallowed for a forward pass as O’Brien put Dave Rowlands over from close range, but instead the visitors began to find their feet, none more so than the classy Olpherts, a cool customer at the back and a real handful when he linked up in attack. Big forwards Johnson and Steve Talbot drove the ball up the middle and Olpherts chimed in to the line, holding off O’Brien as he dotted the ball down, Shaun Squires goaling to make the score 10-6.

The critical moment in the game arrived around the half hour, Miners on the attack but a poor pass was spilled on the Sharks’ thirty and second row Steve Shaw picked up and hared downfield, evading the first tackle but being felled fifteen metres short of the line following a superb recovering chase and capture by Andrew Hodson. So unexpected was the breakaway that there were more defenders than attackers in support from the play-the-ball and Adam Brummitt was wrapped up and forced into the knock-on as he tried to wrestle over the line. Immediately Miners went down the other end and scored what proved the winning try, O’Brien putting Adam Thomason over from twenty metres out, Youds goaling for 16-6 at the break.

The tension ratcheted up in the second half as both sides defended stoutly. Shaw Cross were enjoying sustained spells of possession though and the usually prolific Squires squandered a good opportunity when his final pass to winger Ross Roebuck went into touch. Miners were struggling to retain the ball themselves but they were scrambling heroically in the conditions, O’Brien back on hand to mop up after the Sharks broke away with Andy Tillotson and Talbot, the Miners’ captain intercepting the final pass under his own posts. With twelve minutes remaining the home side were again denied by the officials, O’Brien’s pass to Tony Doyle ruled forward, but under the pressure it was Shaw Cross who blinked first, Johnson losing his cool and raining punches on a grounded Coleman to earn an inevitable red card, Martyn Holland and Miners’ Rowlands also taking stints in the sin-bin for their involvement in the fracas that followed. That took the momentum away from the visitors although certainly not the heart, as they showed great defensive resolve to deny Steven Marsh, running the Miners’ man behind the dead ball line as he went in for the try, and then forcing the knock-on from Doyle as he thought he had scored. With the final play of the game the visitors had their consolation as Martin Woodhead broke down the right wing and sprinted away from inside his own half for a fine try but it was too late to derail Miners’ cup defence.

Miners – Jonny Youds, Andrew Hodson, Steven Marsh, Adam Thomason, Andrew Groves, Jimmy Muir, Scott O’Brien, Gary Gittins, Tony Doyle, David Rowlands, Liam Coleman, Martin Gray, Lee Gittins Subs – Sean MacDonald, Luke Murfin, Tom Farrimond, Kevin Howells

Tries – Gray (9), O’Brien (13), Thomason (33)

Goals – Youds 2

Sin-Bin – Rowlands (72)

MoM – Scott O’Brien

Sharks – Derrell Olpherts, Ross Roebuck, Shaun Squires, Danny Flowers, Martin Woodhead, Andrew Fawkes, Andrew Tillotson, Danny Annakin, Martyn Holland, Steve Talbot, Ryan Chalkley, Steve Shaw, Zach Johnson Subs – Joe Bownass, James Collins, Casey Johnson, Adam Brummitt

Tries – Olpherts (24), Woodhead (79)

Goal – Squires

Sin-Bin – Holland (72)

Sent Off – Z Johnson (72)

MoM – Derrell Olpherts

Referee – Neil Aspey

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