Oulton Raiders 32, Leigh Miners Rangers 12 ONLY a fortnight after their best performance of the season at Ideal Isberg, Leigh Miners Rangers turned in their worst display of the campaign at fellow high-flyers Oulton Raiders.
Perhaps it was a collective hangover from the recent cup defeats at Dewsbury and particularly Wath Brow, but the Miners never got to grips with the game.
In defence they grew increasingly jaded and in attack they spilled the ball seemingly every other set of six.
Take nothing away from Oulton, though, who played enterprising rugby and looked a well disciplined team with an influential set of forwards.
They made a start they could only have dreamed of with three tries in the opening quarter, two to Rob Moules and one for Paul Halloran.
But the turning point came on the stroke of half time. As the Miners pressurised the Raiders' line they were harshly penalised at the play the ball. Oulton stormed back downfield and Phil Swallow's bomb was plucked out of the air for Lee Hall for a six-pointer and an 18-0 lead.
When Swallow himself finished off a flowing move just minutes after the break, a hammering seemed in the offing. But the Miners showed a lot of spirit. Jon Light and Tommy Goulding toiled without much reward in the forwards and Alan Coleman showed the odd flash of inspiration at scrum-half.
It was Coleman who opened the Miners account, just getting a fingertip to his own grubber for a try converted by Mark Hudspith.
Although Halloran pushed Oulton further ahead another Coleman grubber was pounced on by Steve Flannery for a try he converted himself.
But the Miners didn't have the satisfaction of scoring the final try as Hall collected his second in injury time.
Tomorrow the Miners will be looking to bounce back when they visit unpredictable Lock Lane.
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