Oulton Raiders 10 v 24 Leigh Miners Rangers
Leigh Miners made it three wins from three in the league on Saturday afternoon when they beat Oulton Raiders 24-10 on a sunny but blustery day in Yorkshire, Miners making five changes from their last win two weeks ago with Matt Astley, Jimmy Muir, Mark Nicholson, Mike O’Boyle and Bud Skinkis coming in for Chris Bowers, Harry Gagen, Scott O’Brien, Connor Ratcliffe and Adam Thomason.
The game started scrappy with both sides coming up with errors early on, the home side settling down the quicker and having a good spell of possession on the Miners line. The pressure eventually telling after a few sets when second rower Chris Gourley went over to score, player coach Jamie Benn converting to give Oulton a 6-0 lead after ten minutes. After starting slowly Miners steadily worked their way into the game and drew level on 25 minutes when after some good build up play left centre Brad Hargreaves powered over out wide, Jonny Youds adding the extras to tie the game up at 6-6. With a few minutes of the opening forty remaining Hargreaves powered over again out on the left, Youds converting to give Miners a six point lead going into the break with the score at 12-6.
Miners again started slowly at the start of the second half and where punished ten minutes in when Adrian Holdsworth scored in the right corner to make it 12-10. The men from Twist Lane again settled themselves after conceding and although they was far from their best they never looked like losing the game as they kicked on in the final quarter to wrap up the two points. Brad Hargreaves again powering over with fifteen minutes remaining to grab his hat-trick. Tommy Parkinson scored a fourth Miners try with a few minutes remaining when he went charging over on the right, Jonny Youds converting to make it 22-10. Youds finishing the scoring soon after the Parkinson try with a penalty goal as Oulton finished the game with twelve men when Danny Stanley was sin binned for punching.
Miners are in Ladbrokes Challenge Cup action next Sunday when they take on York City Knights in the fifth round, Kick off 2pm at Leigh Sports Village.
MINERS TEAM = Jonny Youds, Jack Probert, Brad Hargreaves, Mike O’Boyle, Bud Skinkis, Jimmy Muir, Shaun Dowie, Martin Gray, Danny Jones, Matt Astley, Tommy Parkinson, Ellis Grimes, Tom Farrimond, Subs = Tony Doyle, Mark Nicholson, Danny Jackson, Darryl Kay
MINERS MOM = Darryl Kay
OULTON TEAM = Scott MacDonald, Adrian Holdsworth, Dom Flannagan, Greg Coatbridge, Matty Bullough, Jamie Benn, Danny MacIntosh, Mark Falkingham, Craig Savage, Rob Stanley, Craig Gourley, James Cruickshank, Danny Stanley, Subs = Joe Hawley, Emile Saunders, Tom Lunn, Brendan Shepard
OULTON MOM = Craig Savage
Leigh Miners 2nd team beat Bury Broncos on Saturday 46-10 at home in the league.
