LEIGH Miners Rangers moved two points clear at the top of the Premier Division with this hard-fought 35-22 win over Thatto Heath Crusaders on a perfect late summer’s evening at Twist Lane.

Two sides at opposite ends of the table served up an entertaining and fast-paced game and, with the scores at 26-22 with barely 10 minutes remaining, Heath perhaps sensed an opportunity to repeat their last-gasp win of almost exactly two years previously.

But instead a Jonny Youds penalty goal and a Jimmy Muir drop goal gave Miners a vital seven-point cushion and Connor Ratcliffe’s late try iced the cake for the Leigh side.

Thatto are left with it all to do as they bid to avoid the drop and with Mick Ledger a tower of strength in the pack, the ageless Steve Woods exerting his influence from the bench and Sean Kenny and Sean Leicester lively they have the quality to yet pull off the escape, albeit time is starting to run out for them.

For Miners it is all about grinding out the wins in a testing final month of the season and with Tom Farrimond, Chris Bower and Darryl Kay unsung heroes in the pack and Shaun Dowie and Muir forming a maverick pairing in the halves they look ahead to another derby, at Wigan St Pats, as the next test of their Premiership credentials.

Thatto, on a rich vein of form, opened the brighter and they claimed the first score when Kenny hoisted a kick to the wing and Louis Taylor climbed highest to pluck the ball from the air and touch it down, Leicester converting.

Miners responded when Farrimond showed quick thinking to dart from acting half 15 metres out and dive over the line, Youds’ goal levelling matters.

The home side took the lead when Andrew Groves showed great determination to wriggle through the tackles and stretch over the whitewash, Youds again adding the extras.

With Thatto beginning to unravel a little bit, Miners had another in quick succession when Tommy Parkinson dummied and stepped inside to go over for a try out wide and 16-6.

The Crusaders had the last word of the half though as some slick play saw Kenny put Leicester cutting back on the angle to dive in for the score.

The teams were back on level pegging five minutes into the second half when Kenny was again on hand to put Liam Quinn riding the tackle and touching down for another six-pointer and now the game was in the balance again.

Miners forged their way clear once again, first as Brad Hargreaves forced his way over the line at the left corner, then when Dowie took advantage of what was initially a wayward pass, the Australian improvising smartly to step his way through beside the posts and 26-16.

Thatto were far from finished though and they were over again as Tom Tunstall finished well and Leicester’s conversion narrowed the gap to four points.

Miners made it a six-point game when Youds landed a penalty for a swinging arm in the tackle and when Muir popped the drop goal over the clock and scoreboard were against Heath.

In the closing minutes Muir’s short ball put Ratcliffe crashing his way through to score under the posts and round off a fine night’s work for Miners.

On September 5, the first team travel to Wigan St Patricks (2.30pm) with the Alliance hosting Accrington (2.30).

On Sunday the under-18s have their replayed Lancashire Trophy semi-final, at home to Rochdale Mayfield.