LEIGH Miners Rangers booked their first Grand Final for seven years as they earned a spot at Widnes against Siddal with this tumultuous 30-24 victory over third-placed Rochdale Mayfield.

After finding themselves 16-6 behind 20 minutes into the game Miners appeared destined for another afternoon of chasing shadows but the NCL Premier Division champions rallied superbly, turning the tide to lead 18-16 at the break.

They then put in a monumental defensive effort to gradually blunt the Mayfield attack after the interval, albeit the game was never quite comfortable for the Leigh side.

Coming into the game in red-hot scoring form and backed by two drummers and a posse of Hawaiian-shirted supporters, Mayfield stormed out of the blocks although they required an inadvertent helping hand from their hosts to take the lead.

A loose Miners' pass inside their own 20-metre line was a gift for Matt Calland to sneak in for the try, goaled by his fellow player-coach Sam Butterworth. With the skys-craping stand-off Paul Brearley invariably managing to smuggle the offload away, and willing hard runners such as Joe Quanici, Callum Marriott and Liam Whalley on hand, Mayfield were playing at a high tempo.

But Miners clawed their way back into contention when they exerted some territorial pressure of their own and from that position Danny Jones delayed the pass expertly for Jimmy Muir to slice through at pace and score beside the posts, Jonny Youds goaling.

Straight from the restart and it was back to square one though. The visitors' short kick caused consternation in the Miners' defence and as they hesitated Brearley swooped in to regather and in the same movement flicked the pass out for Lewis Sheridan to score out wide, Butterworth again with the goal.

When Miners were penalised inside their own half, Mayfield were in again as the ball was shipped right and Declan Sheridan went over at the corner and to make the score 16-6.

Miners were put under further pressure but prevented more damage and then turned things round completely before the interval as Mayfield were reduced to 12 men, Eric Johnson sin-binned for a late shoulder-charge.

In his absence, Miners scored twice. Scott O'Brien and Youds worked a wrap-around following a scrum and the space was created for makeshift winger Ellis Grimes to crash in at the corner, Youds goaling.

Then with the final play of the half O'Brien took matters into his own hands as he cut through from 25 metres out to touch down for another six pointer.

The lead was extended early in the second half as Muir put Brad Hargreaves in for a try at the corner and then Youds added a penalty for an off-the-ball tackle, but it was in defence where Miners were now gaining the real ascendancy as they gradually subdued the Mayfield danger men of Brearley and Adie Gleeson, while Grimes enjoyed the better of a fine duel out wide with Dave Wood.

But Mayfield have points-scoring potential across their side and when they won a penalty as Miners played the ball incorrectly, Quanici booted the play deep into Miners' territory and from the position Johnson charged over for a try.

With the conversion fading short Miners still held a six-point lead and that was extended further with a well-worked score, O'Brien with the kick behind the line and Muir sliding in to touch down.

O'Brien converted with Youds forced from the field with a shoulder injury.

The game was in no danger of fizzling out quietly though and tempers flared late on after Gleeson lost the ball on half way. Quanici, in particular, took exception to the Miners' schadenfreude as a prolonged altercation ended with the Fijian loose-forward sent off and team-mate Todd O'Brien and Miners' Danny Jackson sent to the sin-bin.

Mayfield did have the final word when Declan Sheridan showed a clean pair of heels from 30 metres out, but it was just too late as Miners held out to earn their final place.

They will face league runners-up Siddal in the Grand Final, who recorded a commanding win at Twist Lane in the qualification play-off.

Despite that setback, Miners lead the 2015 head-to-head 2-1, but will be aware of the scale of the test in front of them if they are to secure an unprecedented treble following this season League Leaders Shield and Conference Cup victories.

The game will be played at Widnes’ Select Security Stadium on Sunday, 3pm kick off.