hot and cold

Leigh Miners Rangers 32

Saddleworth Rangers 20

IT took a half time wake-up call before Leigh Miners Rangers dispatched Saddleworth to relegation.

Down 8-6 at the interval after blowing hot and cold, it was not until the half hour that they hit some kind of form.

Sub stand-off Chris Lee sparked a raid, Tommy Goulding carried it on and Richard Varkulis crashed over. Simon Hartley added a towering conversion.

Winger Craig Graham scored the first try after the restart, flying 60 metres on his way to the line. The Miners pack took control, Jon Light paving the way for full-back Matt Irwin to cross. Hartley again goaled.

Lee's pin-point kicking game help the Miners and with field position won, Graham beat three defenders before popping up a pass for Mark Sarsfield to canter over. Lee Lomax snaffled another try and Hartley's third goal made it 28-8. Saddleworth threw everything at the Miners in the final quarter and pulled it back to 28-20.

The Miners finally pulled themselves together and finished strongly with Lomax, Craig Wilson and Hartley making the opening for Varkulis to touch down a second time.