Brute force fires Roughyeds

HIGH FIVES: Joe Burke dives in for Oldham's fifth try

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MUSCULAR Michael Ward, Oldham's heaviest forward in Phil Joy's absence, scored a comical try to spark an astonishing Roughyeds' fightback at Dewsbury.

No laughing matter for the Rams, who were trying to be clever, but it was a try which raised chuckles among Oldham fans and inspired Scott Naylor's men to dare to believe.

From 24-6 down, after a wretched first half, they resumed with a few choice words in their ears and rattled up 22 unanswered points - four tries and three goals - to win away for the first time since last August.

Andy Kain's kick looked like stretching the Rams lead until lion-heart Richard Lepori snuffed out the threat with more of his defensive heroics.

Roughyeds immediately went to the other end where Ward got over the Rams line on Gareth Owen's flat pass.

Not content with holding him up, Rams surrounded him in numbers and tried to usher him over the dead-ball line, which would have given them possession at a 20-metre restart.

It didn't work. Ward had the strength to get low in the tackle and touch the ball down for the try, to the embarrassment of Rams defenders as referee Tom Crashley pointed to the try.

"I got low enough to complete the touchdown over my shoulder," explained Ward, whose first-rate performance was a highlight of Oldham's biggest turn-around since they were promoted to the Championship.

The transformation from first-half stooges to second-half winners was based on a collective desire to right earlier wrongs, which included a general reluctance to tackle with venom, although George Tyson was an exception.

EXEMPLARY

His defence on the right was exemplary from start to finish, but few followed his lead in a weak, woeful, first half.

They started well when Danny Langtree's early drive set up position from which Adam Neal went in for the opening try off Kenny Hughes.

Paul Sykes's high restart kick, swirling in the wind, was allowed to bounce, resulting in Joe Burke being forced dead.

Rams retrieved possession from the drop out and by the time Oldham next got the ball at the right end of the pitch, Dewsbury had run in three tries in six minutes by Kain, Robbie Ward and Sykes to lead 18-6.

Roughyeds couldn't break down a resolute home defence and they fell further behind near half-time when James Glover punctured the visitors' suspect left-side defence and went round Lepori to score under the posts.

Scott Turner went off with concussion midway through the first half, Lepori switching from wing to full-back, Keiran Gill moving out to wing and Sammy Gee filling-in at centre.

Gee was to have a huge influence as Oldham got their act together in the second half, as did Lepori, Adam Clay, Tyson and Ward.

Neal had an impressive second spell; Owen enjoyed his best run of the season; Scott Leatherbarrow came into his own in the second half; and Joe Burke scored the match-winning try on the back of intelligent support play.

Gill's try in the corner reduced the deficit to 24-16, then came one of the many highlights of the comeback - Clay's 40-20 when he was under pressure and being pushed into touch on the last tackle of a set.

It led directly to Tyson's try, goaled by Leatherbarrow, which put Roughyeds only two points behind.

Oldham were on a roll, Rams were out on their feet and when Leatherbarrow scythed through a gap and Burke supported inside the job was complete and celebrations could begin.