Roughyeds hold heads high

Date published: 23 March 2015


SHEFFIELD EAGLES 44, OLDHAM 20

IN a Ladbrokes Challenge Cup tie that went pretty much to the form guide, Oldham were blitzed in the first half but kept their composure in the second to walk off with heads held high.

It is difficult to measure if Sheffield eased off after racing into a 30-6 interval lead, but statistics don’t lie and there was nothing to separate the Championship high-flyers and the League One hopefuls in the second half.

Right-winger Rob Worrincy scored in the corner for Eagles; right-winger Adam Clay did likewise for Oldham, his seventh try in four games. Sub forward Steve Thorpe then crossed for a pair of tries for the Yorkshiremen before Josh Crowley, coming off the bench, scored twice in 12 minutes for a Roughyeds side that went better and better the longer the game wore on.

The second 40 finished 14 points apiece and three tries apiece, Oldham accumulating 20 points overall to become the season’s highest scorers against a Sheffield outfit that lost on day one of the season but has since won every game. In conceding only 59 points in five games, Eagles went into this tie with the best defensive record in their own division and Super League.

It was against a rearguard of that calibre that Oldham recorded a first-half try by Micky Learmonth and then followed up by scoring three more in the last 20 minutes.

Roughyeds also pride themselves on defence, but they couldn’t cope with the step-up in class early on when big Tony Tonks was taking Eagles forward with every drive.

Eagles raced into an 18-0 lead with tries by Yere, Turner and Knowles, each converted by Pat Walker, before Oldham opened their account after receiving their first penalty. It briefly put the visitors on top, Liam Thompson denied by a superb, try-saving tackle before Learmonth crashed over for Lewis Palfrey to convert.

Learmonth, a dual-reg prop from Huddersfield Giants, had his best game so far in the Oldham jersey, as did his fellow prop Adam Neal, who didn’t look at all out of place in this company.

Crowley, hitherto quiet this season by his own high standards, looked more like his old self when scoring twice wide out. Willing support came from Phil Joy, George Tyson, Liam Thompson and Danny Langtree, who came through well in his first game back after a long absence caused by a pulled hamstring.

Steve Roper made the step-up in class look effortless, taking charge of Oldham’s attacking operation in the last 20 minutes following the withdrawal of Lewis Palfrey and Adam Files, who were replaced by Gareth Owen and Kenny Hughes respectively.

Naylor’s men were rocked on their heels by two Eagles tries immediately before and after half-time, but at 40-6 in arrears they still had the will and the stamina to mount an impressive fightback.

Battling away to the bitter end, Oldham went in search of more points and they were rewarded when Roper put Jon Ford into a gap on a diagonal run for the line.

He was halted short, but from the play-the-ball close to the line Crowley did his trademark spin and touched down for a try which Roper converted on the angle.