West Hull (Away)
Leigh Miners make their second and final league visit of the season to Humberside on Saturday when they take on West Hull in Round 12 of the NCL Kingstone Press Cider Premier Division, Kick off at the slightly later time of 3pm at West Hull Community Park.
Miners travel up the M62 freshened up after having no game last weekend due to the second round of the Conference Challenge Trophy, the players having the week off training to rest up and recover from any niggling knocks picked up so far this season.
The last game being a fortnight ago when they returned to winning ways in awful conditions by beating relegation threatened Egremont Rangers 24-12, Miners coming back from 12-0 to produce a strong second half performance to go on and win with u18s players Will Ashworth, Joe Digby and Todd Fenlon all impressing.
The players are looking forward to this week’s game and they are determined to put in a strong performance to keep themselves well placed at the top end of the table and maintain their 100% record of never having lost at West Hull since the NCL switched to summer rugby in 2012.
Coach Allan Coleman makes six changes from the side that beat Egremont two weeks ago with Todd Fenlon going back with the u18s, Danny Halliwell, Joe Harrison (Work), Ryan Peters, Lee Wingfield and Tom Farrimond who loses his ever present record for this year because of work commitments dropping out of the side, to leave captain Scott O’Brien with the last remaining ever present record for Miners in 2016. Coming into the side are Mitchell Cox, Lee Gittins, Martin Gray, Darryl Kay, Jamie King and Sam Peet.
Looking back on the win against Egremont a couple of weeks ago, coach Allan Coleman said “We was very focused on getting the win and we got it”
“It wasn’t about the performance because we had so many players missing and the weather was horrible.”
Ahead of this week’s game at West Hull, Allan said “We was grateful of the week off last week, just to get the squad back together.”
“West Hull is always a tough place to visit, but the lads have trained so well this week and we have regrouped well ready to take on the second part of the season.”
With Coleman adding “We have had some bad news this week with us losing Gareth Paine for the season and also Brad Hargreaves as been told by the doctors he can’t play again.”
“Which is heartbreaking for a lad who’s just been selected in the England Lions squad.”
“I would like to thank Brad from myself and the players for everything he has done at the Miners, He is a treble winner and will go down In history at our club.”
“What ever he chooses in life he will be a winner.”
West Hull like Miners where without a game last weekend after they also took a early first round exit out of the Conference Challenge Trophy. In the league Wests have won six of their eleven matches so far this season, with the most recent being a excellent 16-4 away win at Kells to leave the green and golds well placed in fourth position.
When the two teams met at Twist Lane in the first league encounter six weeks ago, Miners ran out 36-4 winners.
Leigh Miners second team are at home on Saturday against Blackpool Scorpions in the league, Kick off 2-30pm at Twist Lane.
The u18s are at home on Sunday against Leyland Warriors in the league, Kick off 11-45am at Twist Lane.
Leigh Miners Ladies have a free weekend.
