Leigh Miners Rangers 32 East Leeds 8
Miners sent East Leeds down to their first league defeat of 2014 in a dominant display at hail-swept Twist Lane.
Miners Rangers produced a commanding display in atrocious conditions to send East Leeds down to their first league defeat of the season. The home side withstood the physical challenge posed by the highly-regarding top flight newcomers, and a dismal afternoon of strong winds, torrential rain and hail showers, to record this utterly convincing victory, built upon a tremendous defensive display and clinical precision in attack orchestrated by the outstanding Scott O’Brien.
The victory was established by half time, with Miners 26-0 to the good after 40 minutes spent almost entirely in the Easts’ half. Adam Thomason opened proceedings as he was first to O’Brien’s kick to the right corner, Jonny Youds with the conversion. Miners extended their advantage when O’Brien and Shaun Dowie linked well to put Sean MacDonald over at the left corner and the tries followed at regular intervals thereafter, Youds the next on the scoresheet as he finished off well from O’Brien’s break, then the Miners’ captain on the scoresheet himself as he scythed through from 25 metres out to go under the posts. Danny Jackson concluded the scoring for the half as he backed up a Thomason and O’Brien break to finish the half with Miners well on top.
Easts had been battered into submission in the first forty but they showed their spirit after the break and whilst the comeback was never on the cards they did register tries of their own from Jason Priestley and Dale Pattinson, but with conditions unrelenting the game entered something of a lull before Miners rounded off the scoring in the final minute, O’Brien’s kick to the corner bouncing back in-field and MacDonald swooping to touch down, Youds with another excellent conversion to conclude matters.
