Leigh Miners Rangers 50 Saddleworth Rangers 30
Miners Rangers kept up their play-off hopes with this torrid contest against a battling Saddleworth side. It was a bruising encounter against a side already condemned to relegation as a first half which saw Miners post 26 unanswered points gave way to second half which the visitors won 30-24, meaning they have now posted more points against Miners over two games than any other side this season. Thanfully the Leigh side had enough of an advantage after that first half dominance to just about hold Saddleworth at arm’s length, but this was still a draining forty minutes.
Miners were forced into more changes as Martin Lewis joined the trans-Atlantic getaway although Dave Rowlands had returned from his own Stateside sojourn. Jonny Youds, John Woods and Ross Bradley were all unavailable whilst Danny Jackson was ruled out with injury. Saddleworth recalled ex-Leigh Centurions forward Matty Bottom and other former professionals in the form of Anthony Morrison and Matt Fogarty as they bidded to end their season with a bang.
On a chilly autumn evening it was Saddleworth who opened positively but Miners who drew first blood on five minutes, Josh Ward hoisting a clearing kick downfield and Saddleworth winger Danny Attersall spilling the ball on the ground to give Miners an attacking scrum. From the subsequent possession the home side spread the ball on the last tackle for Adam Thomason to break the line and score out wide. Within four minutes Miners extended their lead with some slick rugby, Ward and Darryl Kay combining to put Jimmy Muir through a gap just inside the Saddleworth half, and although he was snagged by his shirt tails he managed to offload for the supporting Aaron Gorton to score under the posts, Ward goaling. By the quarter hour the pattern appeared set for a cruise to victory for the home team as Jimmy Rogers lost possession attacking the Miners line and Scott O’Brien gathered in the loose ball and cut across the line to put Shaun Marsh charging through a gap, he in turn had Sean Pendlebury in support to show his pace from half-way to make the score 14-0. When the fourth Miners’ try came it was again from the breakdown of a promising Saddleworth attack, this time Thomason collecting the loose ball isnide his own ten metres and this time O’Brien the beneficiary to finish off from inside his own half. Seven minutes before the break and Miners had another score, more good handling moving the ball across field and Liam Coleman putting his winger Jonny Carroll over at the right corner, Ward’s conversion making it 26-0 at the interval.
Saddleworth though were determined not to die wondering and they showed their commitment with two tries for fullback Adam Jeffrey inside the first four minutes of the second half. First he popped up to take an offload from Paul Raftery and score under the sticks, then he capped off a fine move down the right to stride in from forty metres out, Jack Bradbury adding both goals. Miners responded with a spell of pressure, O’Brien finding Thomason who weaved his way through to score his second, but Saddleworth had a reply of their own when Gareth Morgan powered over at the corner flag from close range, Jack Bradbury again goaling.
This was becoming a niggly game and tempers boiled over on the hour, with Coleman and Morrison despatched to the sin-bin for an altercation. Miners scored from the subsequent penalty as Danny Jones showed his strength to wrestle over the line despite the attentions of the defence, Ward goaling for 36-18, but straight from the restart Saddleworth regained possession and Josh Bradbury showed his class, the wiry scrum-half stepping and cutting through from twenty metres out. The tit-for-tat nature continued as Miners extended their lead, moving play left from a penalty and Pendlebury diving over at the corner, but Saddleworth narrowed the gap to just ten points with their fifth try, Jack Connor drilling a kick in-goal and when the Miners’ defence couldn’t clear it the Saddleworth substitute was able to follow up and ground his own kick behind the posts.
Miners had toiled in this second half but they finished with a flourish of quality, first as O’Brien scored a fine solo effort, dancing his way along the line and bouncing out of challenges before cutting through to score, then the Miners’ captain set up the final try, catching an attempted Saddleworth chip on half way and then weaving his way round and out of four attempted tackles before passing to Carroll to score his second, Ward goaling to bring up the fifty and keep the play-off challenge on track.
Miners – Jimmy Muir, Sean Pendlebury, Lee Gittins, Liam Coleman, Jonny Carroll, Josh Ward, Scott O’Brien, Kevin Howells, Aaron Gorton, Darryl Kay, Adam Thomason, Shaun Marsh, Danny Jones Subs – Dave Rowlands, Tom Farrimond, Craig Connor, Steve Tooze
Tries – Thomason (5, 48), Gorton (9), Pendlebury (16, 67), O’Brien (24, 74), Carroll (33, 79), Jones (60)
Goals – Ward 5
Sin-Bin – Coleman – fighting
MoM – Scott O’Brien
Saddleworth – Adam Jeffrey, Danny Attersall, Aaron Muller, Matt Fogarty, Danny Bowker, Jack Bradbury, Josh Bradbury, Tom Dransfield, James Whalley, Paul Raftery, Jimmy Rogers, Anthony Morrison, Gareth Morgan Subs – Phil Wood, Matt Bottom, Rhys Waring, Jack Connor
Tries – Jeffrey (42, 44), Morgan (55), Josh Bradbury (63), Connor (71)
Goals – Jack Bradbury 5
Sin-Bin – Morrison – fighting
MoM – Josh Bradbury
Referee – Chris Campbell
Photos thanks to Alan Ball – www.thephotographyman.co.uk / www.facebook.com/thephotographyman
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