Leigh Miners Rangers 8

West Hull 49 LEIGH Miners' season ran into a Humberside brick wall at Twist Lane as the defending Premier Division champions ran riot to send they Leigh side crashing to their heaviest home defeat for years.

It was a dismal day for the Miners when everything seemed to go wrong - and West Hull are experts at capitalising on opponents' off-days.

It all started so brightly for the Miners with a brilliant break from Sean Phoenix, continued by James Arkwright, brought a stunning try under the posts which Steve Flannery converted.

But that was as good as it got for the home team as the champions tuned on the style to hammer Warren Ayres' boys.

Wests were back on level terms after 20 minutes when the first of many missed tackles saw Glyn Jones sprint in for a try converted by Wayne Harris. On the half hour the visitors took the lead through Terry Lynn and although Mark Hudspith added a penalty, a second Lynn try right on half time and a Harris goal and field goal, put Wests 19-8 ahead.

Five minutes into the second half the game was effectively sewn up when Stuart Leake crashed in and from that moment it was just a matter of how many Wests would score.

Mick Warburton threw out a wild pass and Leake scored his second try converted by Harris and six minutes later Brian Newby was the beneficiary for a lead of 33-8. Miners' tackling faded and handling errors crept in. Newby and Jones both completed doubles after Warburton had been sin-binned and in the final minute Carl Moore nipped in for Wests' ninth try.

Warren Ayres won't be able to take many positives out of the game although Roy Stott tackled well in only his second game of the season.

Miners' first defeat of the season had come a few days earlier when they went down 17-6 at Oldham St Annes.

Aussie Craig Wilson gave the Miners a 6-6 half time score when he reacted first to Mark Sarsfield's grubber to score under the posts. Howard Newton added the extras.

But in the second half Oldham dominated the game and clinched victory with a try, three goals and a field goal.