In paddyfield conditions at St Pats it was clear from the outset that this was going to be a tense and tight contest with Miners making some tentative early probes through Jimmy Muir and Adam Thomason whilst Pats responded with the powerful surges of Suffolk and Kris Ratcliffe. It took until the twenty minute mark for the first points to arrive as Pats spread the ball wide to the right and Liam Gannon put Danny Mason over at the right corner flag for 4-0. With their tails up Pats searched for a further score but met some resolute Miners’ defence and on the half hour the Leigh side had the advantage, Scott O’Brien’s clearing kick spilled deep in his own half by Andy Higham and from the scrum Miners worked the ball right for Lee Gittins to flick the pass back inside and O’Brien to slice through from fifteen metres out, Youds goaling to give the visitors the 6-4 lead at the break.

Just one minute into the second half and the lead was extended as Darryl Kay had the ball ripped in a three man tackle under the Pats’ posts and Youds landed the penalty. The Wigan side ralied and Jimmy Muir came up with two tremendous last-man tackles firstly to deny impressive youngster Joe Prior and then to halt former team-mate Smith after both had broken through from long range, and Pats then had a try disallowed after Ryan Baxter was adjudged to have lost possession over the line. With the game so tight such moments were always going to be pivotal and Miners reinforced that point just after the hour with the killer try, Muir starting and finishing the move as he drilled a kick down the right channel and the ball popped up off at Pats’ player for Adam Thomason to storm through, passing to Sean Pendlebury who in turn passed back inside for Muir to finish off, Youds goaling. In the dying stages Pats were reduced to twelve men as Suffolk, who had been walking a tightrope for some time, was sin-binned for a swinging arm in the tackle, and Miners held out for a famous victory to take their Minor Premiership challenge down to the final day.

Pats – Anthony Atherton, Danny Mason, Liam Gannon, Tom Atherton, Andy Higham, Ryan Smith, Anthony Griffiths, Elliott Davies, Marlon Alker, Kris Ratcliffe, Reece Sedgwick, Tony Suffolk, Jon Chamberlain Subs – Antony Gallear, Joe Prior, Jon Brown, Ryan Baxter

Try – Mason (19)

Sin-Bin – Suffolk (77, swinging arm)

MoM – Tony Suffolk

Miners – Jimmy Muir, Jonny Carroll, Jonny Youds, Lee Gittins, Sean Pendlebury, Josh Ward, Scott O’Brien, Craig Connor, Danny Jones, Darryl Kay, Adam Thomason, Steve Kenny, David Rowlands Subs – Gareth Pain, Todd Appleby, Tom Farrimond, Kevin Howells

Tries – O’Brien (30), Muir (63)

Goals – Youds 3

MoM – Jimmy Muir

Referee – Andy Bentham

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