West Bowling 42 Leigh MR 34

Centre Tim Sutcliffe posted four tries as West Bowling snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat in an astonishing comeback at the Bankfoot Oval.

Bowling started brightly when Sutcliffe collected a chip kick to cross and hooker Dan Ramsden added the conversion.

Miners' full back Darren Pilkington was despatched to the sin bin for persistent holding-down but they shrugged off the setback when wingman Paul Wingfield raced over.

This was soon followed by another effort from substitute Martin Lewis.

Loose forward Dave Radley added both the extras and then slotted over a penalty for a healthy 14-6 advantage.

Bowling's woes continued when prop Dan Mole skipped his way to the uprights and Radley again did the honours which, together with another penalty, put the Miners into the sheds 22-6 up.

Rangers' stand-off Gary Fitzmartin won his own kick and chase to increase the lead.

When scrum half Steve Illingworth put Sutcliffe into acres of space for his second, leaving Ben Whyte to add the extra two, it looked for all the world just a consolation touchdown against the run of play.

Leigh appeared to have put the match beyond any possible doubt when Pilkington finished off a sweeping move for a converted try to ensure a 24-point cushion with 20 minutes to go.

But the Wests' great escape started when loose forward Ricky Helliwell sent Sutcliffe charging in at the corner for his hat-trick and Whyte slotted over a splendid touchline conversion.

Prop Andrew Senior, a tower of strength throughout, used his considerable bulk to barge over at the side of the uprights.

Stand-off Adie Leek, now firing on all cylinders, slipped a delicate off-load to put second-row forward John Metcalfe on a run to the chalk.

The lively Ramsden spotted the narrowest of gaps to burrow over and the coup de grace came when Leek threaded a kick through a shattered defence, leaving Sutcliffe to pounce for his fourth.

Whyte kicked all the extras and the unthinkable had happened. West Bowling had notched a staggering 30-point haul in just nine minutes of play in a scintillating comeback.

Although there was still ample time left to the whistle, the shell-shocked Miners were out for the count, not knowing what had hit them.

Whilst Sutcliffe may have been the try-scorer supreme, it was the towering contribution from stand-off Leek which earned him the man of the match accolade.