LEIGH Miners Rangers moved up to third with a 34-24 win in a game of two halves against a battling Egremont side.

After coasting through the first half to lead 22-0, Miners were made to toil after the interval as Egremont threatened the comeback.

In the end Miners just about managing to keep their visitors at arm’s length to secure the win.

After the previous weekend’s cup battle against Thornhill, Miners were missing Connor Ratcliffe and Ellis Grimes, whilst top scorer Brad Hargreaves failed a late fitness test and was replaced by under-18s Jake Lloyd, making his open age debut.

Egremont started brightly but failed to turn their field position into points as handling errors and a scrambling Miners defence released the pressure.

On their first attack the home side took the lead, neat passing by Jimmy Muir and Mick O’Boyle putting Gareth Pain diving in at the corner, Jonny Youds goaling.

Miners stepped up the pressure and the tries began to flow, Tommy Parkinson driving over at the corner before a fine pass from Danny Jones put Darryl Kay through a yawning gap under the posts.

The visitor's woes continued as Pete Bewsher was sin-binned for dissent but the 12 men held out until just before half time when Miners produced some sparkling rugby as they broke down the right, Youds taking the scoring pass to go between the sticks, his conversion leaving Miners in command.

Egremont though emerged a revitalised force and two tries in as many minutes had them right back in the contest.

First the ball was whipped right with quick hands for Jack Short to score at the corner, then from the kick-off Brooks sliced through the defence like a knife through butter, Jimmy Muir with the covering tackle but then sin-binned for holding down and from the penalty Egremont powered over at the left corner through Leon Crelin.

Miners prevented further damage and once restored to full strength they restored a portion of their cushion, O’Boyle driving over at the left corner and Youds adding the extras.

Egremont weren’t finished yet though as Matt McEwen scored to give them further hope but Miners effectively sealed the game with a lung-bursting charge from deep in his own half by Connor Partington, the giant centre snagged just short but with the presence of mind to pass to the supporting Andrew Groves to finish off.

In a seemingly-interminable period of added time Egremont added two further tries, first when Matt Bewsher forced his way over from acting half and then when the outstanding Blake Mahovic put Ryan Barnes in at the corner, but Miners had secured the points.

The Alliance team went down to defeat at Bank Quay whilst the women’s team picked up their biggest win of the season, 70-0 against West Craven. The under-18s lost at home to Clock Face.

This Saturday the first team travel to West Hull with the Alliance travelling to table toppers Orrell St James