LEIGH Miners Rangers booked their passage into the second round of the Conference Trophy with a 40-6 win at home to NCL Division Two side Underbank.

The NCL Premier Division leaders pulled away in the second half after being held to 12-6 at the interval following a determined display from the Holmfirth-based visitors.

Miners stormed out of the blocks to go 12-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes.

Brad Hargreaves, who was influential all game playing centre, burst through the Underbank ranks before offloading to Shaun Dowie to open the scoring in the second minute.

Jonny Youds converted, kicking the first of his six goals.

Hargreaves again made the break in the sixth minute before whipping the ball right for Adam Thomason to score another six pointer.

Miners were not able to build on that good start as Underbank grew into the game.

The visitors pulled six points back a minute before the break after Joel Croker's kick was spilled by the home defence in blustery conditions and Will Midgley picked up the pieces to score, with Croker goaling.

Underbank were full of energy and the second half seemed set to be a tester but Miners crucially made the first score as Hargreaves stretched over at the corner on 47 minutes.

He then stormed through down the left, bouncing off the full-back to score his second eight minutes later.

Miners then turned the screw in the closing stages to score three more tries in the final 12 minutes.

Dowie and Hargreaves combined to put Jimmy Muir over in the corner before Scott O'Brien ducked under a tackle and Harry Gagen supported to scramble in.

In the final minute, Dowie capitalised on an Underback fumble to pick up a chip over the top by Youds and round off the scoring.

Elsewhere, the Under-18s suffered a heavy defeat at Rochdale Mayfield.

The first team travel to Egremont Rangers on Saturday, while the Alliance will bid to defend their unbeaten record when they entertain Oldham St Annes at Twist Lane, both kick offs are at 2.30pm.

On Sunday, the Under-18s and the women's team will both entertain sides from Normanton at Clock Face.

The club also received international recognition this week with Jake Lloyd representing the GB youth in Valencia against Spain Under-23s, while coach Mick Blakeley, vice-captain Tony Doyle and Darryl Appleby headed to Serbia with the England Lionhearts.