Show of pride boosts spirits

WHERE'S IT GONE? George Tyson has the ball ripped from his grasp.

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ADD this to the list of games in which Oldham have performed heroically in narrow defeats - Featherstone away (6-8), London at home (18-20), Halifax away (14-16) and now Hull KR at home (24-32).

Playing at Bower Fold for the first time in two months, Scott Naylor's men picked up neither winning pay nor Championship points, but in the long run they earned a reward that was far more valuable than extra money or more merit marks.

For the first time in five matches they sent their fans home bursting with pride and already looking forward to more of the same against Halifax at Bower Fold next Sunday and against Dewsbury Rams at the same venue on the following Wednesday night (8pm kick-off).

This was the old Oldham; the side built on a bedrock of pride and passion that knocked over Sheffield Eagles, Bradford Bulls and Swinton Lions at home and then accounted for Dewsbury Rams in Yorkshire thanks to an awesome second-half blitz that turned that game upside down.

Four defeats and four poor performances later, fans were getting twitchy and irritable, but despite this eight-point defeat they were shouting from the rooftops last night, buoyed by the Roughyeds' best and most spirited all-round effort for several weeks. They were never going to surrender or collapse in this one.

There were clear signs too that back-to-form Roughyeds had turned the corner.

Half-backs Scott Leatherbarrow and David Hewitt each ran at Hull KR's defensive line with belief and purpose, committing defenders and creating space on the outside for Danny Langtree on the right and Luke Adamson on the left.

The halves were central to everything that Oldham did well, playing behind a pack that was strong and resolute going forward and enthusiastic and hungry when called upon to tackle and defend.

The starting six all made massive contributions, with Langtree back to his indomitable best, while Tyler Dickinson came off the bench to inject even more size, strength and power into the Roughyeds' middle unit.

George Tyson was as tough as old boots in the centre, but the biggest change of all was the collective desire of all 17 players in red and white hoops to stand up to their more illustrious opponents and to make a game of it.

Rovers, rattled by Oldham's crackerjack start, had a star of their own in hooker Shaun Lunt, who ignited the Robins' big fighback with a try from dummy half in the 33rd minute.

Oldham were off to the perfect start. Rovers knocked on Scott Turner's kick-off and in the first set from there, Leatherbarrow sliced through a gap to send in the supporting Joe Burke near the posts for a converted try.

MOUNTED

In reply, Rovers mounted a strong right-flank raid. Full-back Ben Cockayne joined the line, but his pass to the wing was well read and intercepted by Hewitt, who flew home from his own 20-metre line, hugging the touch line all the way.

Three minutes later Roughyeds fans were ecstatic again when Hewitt drilled a low-trajectory kick towards the corner. Ryan Shaw failed to clean up properly and in nipped big Sam Wood to grab the touchdown.

Kicking superbly, Leatherbarrow converted all three tries, to leave Roughyeds 18-0 in front after 10 minutes.

For the next 20 minutes Oldham were in charge. They harassed Rovers into mistakes and worked tirelessly in defence to nullify the threat of the visitors' chief tactical kicker, Danny Addy.

Tyson twice did well to defuse Addy's crossfield bombs and then get out of his in-goal area.

Oldham looked capable of holding on to their 18-0 lead to half-time, but three Rovers penalties in a row was to change all that.

Lunt, a class act, capitalised by opening the Rovers account with a try from dummy half close to the line.

Centre Jordan Abdull scored on Addy's clever kick to the line and then, on the last tackle of the last set of the half, Joe Wardill crossed from dummy half at close range.

To concede 16 points in the last seven minutes of the half was always likely to kill off Oldham's hopes of performing another giant-killing act.

They refused to be intimidated, but the Lunt show took off again when the England hooker broke up the middle and cross-kicked to the right where the ball bounced favourably for Ryan Shaw to score.

DIRECTLY

Addy and Jamie Ellis were kicking Roughyeds to death and this produced another try when Addy tried a long 40-20.

Struggling to get to it, Scott Turner tapped the ball back into play, and directly into the flight path of Wardill who touched down for a gift score.

Two 50/50 calls went against Oldham, and Rovers cashed in accordingly when Shaw took a wide pass to fly in at the corner.

There was still time for Darnell McIntosh to dive in at the corner spectacularly and for Leatherbarrow to land another difficult kick.