Newcastle University 8

Leigh Miners Rangers 51 LEIGH Miners Rangers are back on the Challenge Cup trail and ready to do battle with a professional club in the New Year.

Their comprehensive second round victory at Newcastle on Saturday puts them into the hat with the NFP and two French clubs when the third round draw is made on January 4.

It was with some trepidation that the Miners set off to Newcastle, shock conquerors of Yorkshire Cup winners, Hunslet Warriors, in round one.

But the Miners made the best possible start with a converted try inside the first five minutes, Chris Flynn making the opening and Johnny Light going in for the try converted by Steve Flannery.

From the re-start full-back Matt Irwin finished off a flowing move to make it 10-0.

The students gave their supporters something to cheer about when Roger McGill landed a penalty but the Miners soon silenced the crowd when young winger Steve Clarke seized on a loose ball and raced 90 metres for another try goaled by Flannery for a 16-2 lead.

Miners' dominance continued with props Mark Meadows and Danny Flannery proving hard to hold and setting up a platform for half-backs Paul Redford and Mick Warburton to launch attacks on both flanks. Irwin again linked up to finish off another fine move, leaving Flannery the chance to convert and make it 22-2. But the University showed their mettle when they posed some questions to the Miners' defence. Great Britain Student international, Andy Raleigh, lived up to his reputation by breaking through from 30 metres to score a try converted by McGill.

The retstart saw Warburton at his creative best, scooting through a gap before off-loading for Sean Phoenix to grab a try, converted from long distance by Flannery to give the Miners a 28-8 half time lead.

Stand-off Warburton was in a class of his own at the start of the second half, slicing clean through for another touchdown. Flannery was right on target again to make it 34-8.

The destructive Miners' pack kept up the tempo and hooker Roy Stott profited from a loose ball to score another try. Another successful kick from Flannery hammered more nails in the Newcastle coffin.

Eager to use the ball at every opportunity, the Miners soon scored again when Mark Sarsfield skipped out an attempted tackle from the full-back to score under the posts. Flannery added his seventh goal.

Prop Lewis Waterworth came off the bench to add a field goal before Clarke, receiving the ball in a deep position, skimmed across the fast-freezing surface to set up Sarsfield's second try and give the Miners the record of the highest score of the round.