Leigh Miners Rangers 17 Siddal 16
Miners Rangers get the season up and running with a thrilling opening day win over a strong Siddal side. On the previous two occasions these sides have met on the opening day of the season, the winners have gone on to win the league title and whilst it is of course far too early to make such bold predictions, both showed their strengths in a compelling and well-matched game to suggest they both have very realistic ambitions of silverware this term. That there was so little between the teams is illustrated by the final seven minutes of a dramatic game as a one-point lead changed hands three times before Miners came out on top courtesy of Jonny Youds’ nerveless penalty three minutes from time, kicked from forty metres out and hovering for what appeared an eternity before it dropped over the crossbar by a matter of inches.
On a fine and sunny day with more than a hint of spring in the air, Miners handed debuts to Andrew Groves and Shaun McDonald – the latter off the bench – after both had joined from Leigh East, with Dave Rowlands the principal absentee through injury. Siddal were their usual formidable selves with a robust pack superbly led by Danny Williams and with the halfback pairing of Shaun Garrod and Chris Brooke always influential.
Miners served notice of their intentions with a bright start, John Woods breaking down the left and with Youds in support but the inside pass for what would have been a fine try went to ground. However the Leigh side weren’t denied for long, Adam Thomason, Ross Bradley and Groves taking play down the right and Bradley drilling a kick towards the Siddal line which was blocked by Gareth Blackburn but only into the hands of Bradley who had followed up and went in for the try. The visitors roared back and with their big forwards sucking the Miners’ defence into the middle under the own posts the gaps were created out wide, Garrod kicking to the right and Emerson Newburn with the space to gather the ball at the corner flag and touch down for the leveller. By the end of the first quarter the Chevinedgers were ahead, Garrod again influential and his break supported by Craig Sanderson who floated the pass out wide to the left for Blackburn to score, the winger adding the conversion and a 10-4 advantage. Miners were almost back on terms by the break as Scott O’Brien weaved his way through three defenders but with the line opening in front of him he was nailed by a covering tackle and the ball was forced loose as Siddal held their advantage to the interval.
Miners though came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half, with substitute Jimmy Muir having an immediate impact, and within five minutes of the restart he had his team back on terms, spotting the gap from acting half ten metres out and storming through to score by the posts, Youds goaling to tie matters up. The Leigh side appeared to be getting a firm grip on the game, Youds almost in off Liam Coleman’s fine pass out of the tackle but the ball went to ground. Miners weren’t to be denied though and they were back in front when they elected to run a kickable penalty, Muir with the pass to put Martin Lewis breaking the tackle and scoring out wide for 14-10. Having been on the back foot for most of the half Siddal demonstrated their resilience as they hit back to score on one of their rare forays, back-to-back penalties marching them upfield and the lively Sanderson putting substitute Nick Smith over for the leveller, and that’s the way it remained despite the best efforts of both teams going into the final ten.
A field goal was always likely to prove decisive and so it proved as Coleman, a tremendous performance at stand-off for the Miners man, scraped one over the bar from twenty five metres out with seven minutes remaining. Straight from the restart though and the home side lost the ball, the error compounded as dissent turned the scrum into a penalty and Blackburn banging it over to nudge his side back in front. But there was one last twist in the tail and with three minutes remaining Miners were awarded a penalty as the touch judge spotted a forearm from Richard Lopag, the ex-Huddersfield man sin-binned for his troubles, and Youds landed the decisive two points from long range. There was yet further drama as Siddal attempted the quick restart but were denied by referee Tom Mather, who then sin-binned Luke Garnett for dissent, but as Miners kept their heads they closed out the game for a fine opening day victory.
Miners – Jonny Youds, Andrew Groves, Ross Bradley, Martin Lewis, John Woods, Liam Coleman, Scott O’Brien, Kevin Howells, Danny Jones, Darryl Kay, Adam Thomason, Lee Gittins, Danny Jackson Subs – Tom Farrimond, Jimmy Muir, Jonny Carroll, Shaun McDonald
Tries – Bradley (7), Muir (45), Lewis (58)
Goals – Youds 2
Field Goal – Coleman
MoM – Lee Gittins
Siddal – Scott Caley, Gareth Blackburn, Jabe Dennis, Richard Lopag, Emerson Newburn, Shaun Garrod, Chris Brooke, Richard Cassanove, Craig Sanderson, Luke Garnett, Mark Boothroyd, Danny Williams, Ross Greenwood Subs – Andrew Fox, Steve Hope. Liam Green, Nick Smith
Tries – Newburn (12), Blackburn (18), Smith (66)
Goals – Blackburn 2
Sin-Bins – Lopag (use of forearm, 77), Garnett (dissent, 79)
MoM – Richard Lopag
Referee – Tom Mather
photos thanks to Alan Ball – www.thephotographyman.co.uk www.facebook.com/thephotographyman
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