Aye, see if it can be played at LSV

There'll probabaly be a bigger attedance at Twist Lane than there would be in Oxford!

Well looks like Oxford have complained about playing at Twist Lane (for some reason) & The RFL has agreed (for some reason). Shame on Oxford & RFL really considering Twist Ln has been approved for them to play our reserves there, Newcastle Thunder & Rochdale Hornets both went to an amateur ground last round with no trouble & there'll probably have to go to worse grounds in League 1 anyway! Hope everyone in Leigh comes out so they don't lose money because of Oxford. Would be brilliant if Miners still beat them. https://twitter.com/leighminersrl/statu ... 8622156801

Well looks like Oxford have complained about playing at Twist Lane (for some reason) & The RFL has agreed (for some reason). Shame on Oxford & RFL really considering Twist Ln has been approved for them to play our reserves there, Newcastle Thunder & Rochdale Hornets both went to an amateur ground last round with no trouble & there'll probably have to go to worse grounds in League 1 anyway! Hope everyone in Leigh comes out so they don't lose money because of Oxford. Would be brilliant if Miners still beat them. https://twitter.com/leighminersrl/statu ... 8622156801

LSV it is then !!!

Would still like to see what the objection was by Oxford! And to why the RFL went along with it.

Are they going to refuse to play at Whitebank in the league, as in my view its a far worse place than Leigh miners or did they refuse to play there last year.The Rfl are to blame as well here as they have major double standards when it comes amateur and pro rugby,to any Oldham fans this isn't a pop at your club and I genuinely sympathise with your present situation.

Miners have launched an appeal to raise funds to help pay the costs of hiring LSV. www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/ot ... -1-7159275 Wonder if the directors of ORLFC will be making a donation

Miners have launched an appeal to raise funds to help pay the costs of hiring LSV. www.leighreporter.co.uk/sport/ot ... -1-7159275 Wonder if the directors of ORLFC will be making a donation

Major mistake from Oxford IMHO - not sure who they think they are! Miners will be chomping at the bit to beat this time now. Hope they get a good crowd and don't make a loss on this fixture.

The decision stinks, was a double header on Sunday considered? I hope the LSV make some reduction in charges,for example the stewards could volunteer to support the Miners and do it for nowt.

It's been a [uvery[/u long time since I watched a match at Twist Lane. I have read someone speculating that it's something to do with not kicking to touch for penalties on the canal side. Is there anything in that? And even so, this can't be the first CC match when the Miners have been at home, so why would this suddenly be a problem now?

It's true you can't but that's always been the case, don't know how much a big net is, like the one behind the goal at the car park end, to stop that but it's costing £3,000 to play at LSV & a net would fix that for good. I heard it was to do with dugouts being on opposite sides & too close to the pitch for the 4th official (which Miners have claimed they can fix & is fine for NCL games, all previous Challenge Cup games & when League 1 clubs, including Oxford, play Leigh Centurions reserves there) & changing rooms (can't be any worse than the portacabins at Owlerton & again are good enough for Oxford when they play Leigh Centurions reserves).

Dug outs are on opposite sides at Wath Brow and they were allowed to play at home against Newcastle in the last round. They also don't kick for touch for penalties at WBH

Miners have won 32-6

Well played Miners great win and a great game to watch

Well done Miners great win.

Well done to the Miners...hope we get them in the next round!

A cracking win for Miners, Hope they get a good draw in the next round to recoup some of the money.

Fantastic sight our players cheering the Miners on some of the Yorkshire lads there too

A fantastic win for the Miners. What a great result. Well done to them all

Excellent win for Miners, were the better team, the scoreline reflects the quality of both sides. Could have beaten Oxford playing anywhere. Hope for Leigh V Leigh in the next round, probabaly make the most Money for Miners. Although with news of Salford making a loss every home game if Miners draw Salford they'll probably want to play it at Twist Ln!

Thanks to The Miners they have given permission for the game to be put on LC TV,
It is on there now.

Have we found a new 'Star' for LC TV we had the pleasure of Andrew Groves the Miners Winger as a guest 'pundit' on Saturday's Miners V Oxford game, have a look-see how he did now on LC TV

Leigh Miners 32 v 6 Oxford RL

Leigh Miners made history on Saturday afternoon when they become the first amateur side since Egremont Rangers & Ellenborough Rangers in 1998 and West Hull before them in 1996 to make it through to the fifth round of the Challenge Cup, comfortably beating Championship one side Oxford RL 32-6 in front of nearly 800 at LSV and also becoming only the second Miners side to beat professional opposition with the first being sixteen years ago in 1999 when they beat Bramley.

The opening exchanges of the game where very fast with Oxford coming out strong in the opening ten minutes, scoring the opening try of the through loose forward Jonny Payne after keeping the ball alive, Danny Allan converting to make it 6-0. Miners soon settled after the early set back and started to go forward well especially on the edges with Ellis Grimes, Tommy Parkinson and Adam Thomason causing all sorts of problems. After building pressure and having the better of the field position Miners scored their first try just after the twenty minute mark out on the right when Scott O'Brien found a gap to send Ellis Grimes crashing over to score and make it 6-4. Five minutes later the men from Twist Lane were in again when Adam Thomason broke down the right, keeping the ball alive to move back across field with Scott O'Brien finishing off a well worked try, Jonny Youds converting to give the score 10-6. With the half hour approaching in these games it's normally the amateurs who tire towards half time but not in this case, the Championship One side looking very tired, offering little in attack and struggling in defence with Miners playing fast on them. Mike O'Boyle scored a third home try a few minutes before the break after Miners again caused Oxford problems out wide. Youds adding the extras to give Miners a ten point advantage going into the half time break leading 16-6.

Miners knew they would have to come out switched on after the break with Oxford starting the first half well, but the visitors offered very little in the second period with Miners comfortably defending anything Oxford threw at them. The game was as good as over on fifty two minutes when young winger Harry Gagen made the most of mix up between the Oxford winger and full back, picking up the loose ball to go and stroll in under the sticks and slam the ball down, Youds adding the extras to make it 22-6. Miners scored a fifth try just after the hour when the hard working Connor Ratcliffe powered over on the right Youds again adding the extras to increase the advantage to 28-6. Adam Thomason finished the scoring inside the final ten minutes when he scored in the corner to make it 32-6, much to the delight of everyone at Leigh Miners as they now look forward to the draw on Tuesday night and hope they get a real money spinner as a reward for this great win!

This weekend Miners are at home again against Rochdale Mayfield in the league.

MINERS TEAM = Jonny Youds, Harry Gagen, Mike O'Boyle, Adam Thomason, Bud Skinkis, Shaun Dowie, Scott O'Brien, Matt Astley, Danny Jones, Darryl Kay, Tommy Parkinson, Ellis Grimes, Connor Ratcliffe, Subs = Tony Doyle, Tom Farrimond, Martin Gray, Chris Bowers

MINERS MOM = Jonny Youds

OXFORD TEAM = Louis Richards, Johnny Morris, Marcus Brooker, Andrew Hoggins, Aaron Jones Bishop, Danny Allan, Andy Speake, Jordan Andrade, Nathan Kitson, Kyle Danns, Josh Scott, Ed Hayles, Jonny Payne Subs = Wes Newton, Graham O'Keeffe, Tom Davies, Luke Evans

OXFORD MOM = Andrew Hoggins

Leigh Miners 2nd team started their defence of the NWML Trophy on Saturday, beating Halton Farnworth Hornets 36-4 away in the first round.

The u18s got back to winning ways on Sunday when they beat Leyland Warriors 52-10 at home in the league.

Fantastic. I shall enjoy that later.

UTM!

Just watched the Miners on Centurions TV and what a great performance from them, well done Miners.