On an eminently forgettable afternoon Miners' National Cup hopes were ended by a rampant Thatto Heath Crusaders side who capitalised on a series of errors from their visitors to post a comprehensive win. After the disappointing draw in midweek against Widnes St Maries this was an even more sobering game for the Leigh side that was put into perspective by the dislocated kneecap suffered by Gittens inside the first ten minutes. It was a cruel blow for the player, who had celebrated his first call-up to the Community Lions squad in midweek but who is now likely to be sidelined for the remainder of the season at least. The visitors were also without John Woods, stricken with flu, Aaron Gorton and Martin Wilson although Ryan Smith returned from international duty in the halves and Jimmy Muir was back from injury and on the bench.

Thatto, in red-hot form in Division One and having scalped Skirlaugh in the previous round, were always going to be a stern test for Miners on a morass of a pitch but with the visitors serving up several tries through their own mistakes the Crusaders took full advantage. They posted their first try inside the first five minutes when the impressive Kieran Maddocks scooted from acting half and sent Darren Woods powering in at the corner for a try converted by Shaun Quinn. Then came the injury to Gittens, twisting awkwardly as he was tackled and the severity of the injury immediately apparent, requiring a delay of over ten minutes as the ambulance arrived. On the resumption Miners were understandably slow to regroup and were punished when Chris Frodsham's kick through was allowed to bounce and wickedly popped back up to wrong-foot the defence but drop into the hands of the gleeful Adam Walsh who stormed in for the try. Before half time and an almost identical score, this time the kick bobbling then bouncing back startlingly to be over-run by two Miners and two Thatto players only for the third attacker, David Johnson. to snatch the ball in and saunter over the line, Quinn goaling for 16-0 at half time.

Miners had barely featured as an attacking threat in the first half but were more purposeful on the restart, Daryl Kay and Tom Dawson doing their utmost to set some kind of foundations whilst Danny Jones turned in a trademark hard stint in defence, and when the visitors were able to exert some pressure Liam Coleman sent Adam Thomason in by the left corner. Miners now had something to build on and they appeared to be carving some kind of foothold into the game but that was swept away as the visitors tried to force play from deep in their own half, an intercept being picked off by Frodsham who sprinted in from thirty metres for the clincher. With handling errors creeping in from both sides the final quarter was a scrappy affair, not that Thatto cared a jot as they rounded off a fine afternoon's work when another kick caused carnage and Woods emerged from the wreckage with the ball for his second try of the afternoon.

Thatto - Shaun Quinn, Darren Woods, John Hughes, David Johnson, Adam Walsh, Andy Stott, Chris Frodsham, Glenn Holland, Kieran Maddocks, Martin Shea, Mark Beech, Steve Woods, Andy Bailey Subs - Scott Clarke, Carl Lamb, David Bates, Mike Ledger

Miners - Jonny Youds, Kieran Dainty, Leon Brennan, Lee Gittens, Daryl Flannery, Scott O'Brien, Ryan Smith, Dean Balmer, Danny Jones, Daryl Kay, Adam Thomason, Luke Murfin, Liam Coleman Subs - Jimmy Muir, Danny Jackson, Tom Dawson, Tom Eckersley

Referee - Andrew Smith