Wigan St Judes 0 Leigh Miners Rangers 62
Miners Rangers returned to winning ways in this midweek derby and recorded their biggest away win in the NCL thanks to this mauling of a hapless Wigan St Judes. After successive away defeats this was just what the doctor ordered and whilst the paucity of the opposition has to be acknowledged, Miners produced some sparkling rugby, scoring tremendous tries and showing resilience in defence to snuff out the sporadic Judes attack. The visitors got the ball rolling inside the first ten minutes, Judes already stricken by the departure through injury of their one outstanding playmaker Dean Hunt, and when Tyrone Ford spilled the ball inside his own twenty Scott O’Brien snapped up possession before putting Shaun Dowie over for the opener. Tries followed at regular intervals thereafter, the next being his first for the club for Matty Meaden as he sliced through from close range under the posts. Some scintillating rugby created the next, as Danny Jackson stormed clear down the right before finding Jonny Youds in support for the first of an eventual hat-trick. Youds had a second when he supported a fine weaving run by the immense Martin Gray for another six pointer. O’Brien was next on the scoresheet as he linked up with Jackson to score and Miners had the points in the bag long before the interval.
There was no respite for Judes early in the second half as young Jake Waterworth claimed two tries in almost as many minutes as Miners extended their advantage still further. From a scrum Youds and O’Brien worked the opportunity for Adam Thomason to score before a Matty Campbell break o half way was supported by Youds for the hat-trick. Gray and Waterworth then combined to create the next try as the latter’s long-range break was halted just short of the line, but Jack Probert was on hand to drive over from acting half. Thomason scored his second as he finished off from O’Brien’s break before Miners wrapped things up at the final whistle by reaching the sixty point mark, Andrew Groves sprinting down the right wing but as he was hauled down by the covering defence he got the pass away for the supporting O’Brien to score. Pics by Kings Pix
