FURIOUS Leigh MR coach Ian Taylor saw red as he feared for his players' safety. And he pointed the finger of blame at referee Colin Morris as his side crumbled to a 52-0 Challenge Cup defeat after two dismissals.

The flashpoint came in the 50th minute of Saturday's Challenge Cup showdown with Hull KR when Miners sub Lee Lomax appeared to be spear-tackled. Although Mr Morris placed the incident on report, it only fanned the flames.

Within three minutes Lomax was again the victim of another heavy tackle; he reacted with an obscene gesture to the touchjudge and was red-carded.

Not long afterwards he was joined in the showers by prop Mark Meadows who was sent off for a high tackle on KR sub David Luckwell.

Down to 11 men, a difficult task became an impossible one for the battling giantkillers. "We were unlucky to have two men sent off," complained Taylor. "If the referee had been brave enough he wouldn't have let the spear tackle go unpunished and it's likely none of what followed would have happened. You look to the referee for protection - we didn't get any out there."

There was never any chance of Miners repeating their shock third round win over Bramley. Rovers came to do a job and they did it clinically.

But the Miners did have one hero. Full-back Peter Sharp, who dislocated his shoulder just two weeks previously, was a rock at the back. Five times he was left exposed one-on-one - and five times he came out the winner.

The one consolation for Miners is a losers' cheque for £5,250 plus their share of a handy 1,317 Hilton Park gate.

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