Leigh Miners Rangers 68, Crosfields 8: IT is 16 years since these two former adversaries last met at Twist Lane and after this hammering Crosfields will be hoping it will be as long again before they meet.
This was a tie with a potential upset on the cards as the rejuvenated First Division outfit who had won six of their last seven games, looked to stun the side that had KO'd West Hull in the last round.
But apart from a brief flurry in the first half when top performer Matt Mahoney gave Crosfields some hope with a superb individual try, it was the Miners who had all the big guns.
Powerful teenage second rower Richard Varkulis started the Miners romp with a fifth minute try that Aaron Beath goaled before Mahoney's score stunned the home side.
For a time it looked as though Crosfields might catch the Miners on the hop but then Varkulis rode a high tackle, shook off three defenders and scattered a couple more on his way to a second try that Beath goaled.
After that it was all one-way traffic as Sean Phoenix and Beath called the shots and unleashed the power of Trent Head, Varkulis, Roy Stott and Tommy Goulding.
By half time Goulding, Alan Reddicliffe and Varkulis - to complete his hat-trick - had added further tries for a 28-4 lead.
Lee Patterson added another within five minutes of the re-start as the Miners scored 12 tries in total. Reddicliffe went on to complete his hat-trick, there was a second for Goulding, two for Phoenix and another from Craig Graham. Beath landed seven goals and Reddicliffe three more.
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