Rampant Roughyeds in peak form

GRITTED TEETH: Michael Ward takes the ball up as Hemel find Oldham too hot to handle.

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OLDHAM 38, HEMEL STAGS 10


WITH only three minutes on the clock, big Phil Joy crashed into a goal post, left it swaying and dropped over the Hemel line to put Oldham in front.

And a minute from the end, Adam Clay exploded up the left touchline like a bullet from a gun to dive over in the corner and register his second try, his team’s seventh.

Over the 76 minutes that separated those two scores, Roughyeds produced an exhilarating performance — slick, aggressive, cultured and composed — which left supporters singing in the rain.

If this is a sign of things to come, fans can look forward to play-off rugby next month with genuine optimism. Scott Naylor’s men might be peaking at just the right time.

Oldham were never in danger of surrendering their unbeaten home record or of failing to shoot down the Stags at the third time.

It took the home side 20 minutes to grind them down - after which they were head and shoulders above the men from Hertfordshire, scoring seven tries to two, playing some of their best rugby of the season and finishing 28-point margin.

Clay scored twice on the lethal left flank, while Joy, David Cookson, Kenny Hughes, George Tyson and Steve Roper also crossed Hemel’s line.

The subs’ bench comprised a quality quartet who each made massive contributions — Hughes, Michael Ward, Nathan Mason and the tearaway Tyson, whose speed and power from loose-forward blitzed Hemel’s flagging defence in the second half.

But there was a lot more to this five-star Roughyeds’ performance than try-scoring and easy on the eye attacking.

The side was also rock solid in defence, especially so as Hemel’s huge forwards roared down the slope in the second half. An inspirational rearguard action kept Hemel at bay before Oldham hit them on the

counter-attack with some of the best tries of the season.

Individually, Joy led the middle unit superbly. He was immense in the first half hour and almost as lethal and powerful when he returned for his second dig up the slope.

This was always going to be a contest that was more about power and physicality than about skill and style. Oldham led 20-6 at half-time, but knew they would have to work hard off the ball in the

second half when Hemel had use of the slope.

Hemel had most of the 50-50 refereeing decisions and five consecutive penalties, but they couldn’t break the home side’s resolve until four minutes from the end when they got a consolation

second try by Aaron Small. By this time Oldham had 32 points on the board - and enjoyed the last hurrah when Clay flew in for a try, converted by Roper.

Tyson another Goodway? That’s some accolade. But if he performs in the play-offs like he did in this one, more fans will start to believe it.