LEIGH Miners Rangers will host Rochdale Mayfield on Saturday for a chance to make it to the NCL Premier Division Grand Final after losing their first qualification play-off against Siddal.

As league champions Miners could have booked their place for the end-of-season showpiece with victory against second-placed Siddal but the in-form visitors stormed to a 34-14 victory at Twist Lane.

Siddal finished the regular season with six straight victories, their last defeat coming at home to Miners at the start of August.

But their combination of high-octane attack and redoubtable defence meant the Miners were always struggling to repeat that result.

The last time Siddal won at Twist Lane, they went on to claim the Grand Final and they appear in similar mood this time around as they overwhelmed their hosts with half-backs Shaun Garrod and Chris Brooke, pack leaders George Ambler and Ross White, and two-try towering centre Chester Butler on top form.

Miners, with internationals Darryl Kay, Adam Thomason and Tommy Parkinson all absent through injuries sustained in the closing weeks of the campaign, battled but had little in the way of response save for a valiant effort by Danny Jackson and two late tries.

The home side actually led early on through Jonny Youds’ penalty but Siddal had already demonstrated their intent and struck their first blow when Butler crashed through out wide.

The big centre then had a try disallowed and Youds’ try-saving tackle denied Garrod as the tie appeared poised at 4-2 approaching half time, only for two further Siddal tries to put the visitors well on top.

First Butler again proved unstoppable from 25 metres out and then White broke the line on half way and cut clean through to score under the posts, Gavin Stead with both conversions for 16-2.

When the visitors scored again minutes into the second half the writing on the wall was underlined in bold, Garrod flighting a kick to the wing and the ball soaring over the Miners’ defence for Gareth Blackburn to gather and touch down.

Miners were on the rack and only some desperate defence to twice hold Siddal players up over the line prevented further damage, but they could not hold out for long.

Garrod himself was on the scoresheet soon after as Siddal turned a scrum near the line into further points, the stand-off wrestling through the defence to touch down.

Even when the visitors were reduced to 12 men with the sin-binning of veteran Richard Merville they not only remained unbroken defensively but added further to their tally, the ball whipped right and Taniela Bakoso was in space to touch down out wide.

Miners finally had some scant consolation as Scott O’Brien chipped the line, regathered and found Youds who in turn passed to Jimmy Muir to dive over the line, but Siddal swiftly responded as Craig Sanderson passed to Blackburn to finish off for his second.

Youds, one of the few bright sparks for Miners, engineered a second home try as he chipped and regathered to put Shaun Dowie in.

The home side must bounce back swiftly against another in-form, free-scoring side in Mayfield if they are to earn a second crack at Siddal and keep their treble dreams alive.

Mayfield won four of their last five games of the regular season, their only defeat in that run coming against Siddall, as they finished third in the table.

And further victories in the play-offs against Hull Dockers and Wath Brow Hornets set up Saturday's Grand Final eliminator at Twist Lane, kick off 2.30pm.

The Miners' Alliance team lost their play-off game 40-6 at Golborne Parkside after finishing the regular season third in North West Men's League Division Two.