Naylor: be quick out the blocks

GET switched on — and quickly - will be Oldham’s cry as they prepare for Sunday’s iPro Sport Cup semi-final against North Wales Crusaders at Whitebank (3pm) and the opening game of the new league season at Rochdale on Good Friday.

“They are massive games,” said coach Scott Naylor after the 44-20 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fourth-round defeat by Championship side Sheffield Eagles.

Roughyeds trailed 40-6 midway through the second half before hitting back to score three late tries by Adam Clay and two by Josh Crowley.

Naylor added: “We’ve started our last two games too slowly and it’s something we need to look at and put right. We got away with it at Barrow, but we need to start a lot quicker and then look at repeating the way we played in the second half against Sheffield.

“Other than that, we’ve no problems, issues or injuries as we turn our attention to Sunday’s semi-final.”

Jon Ford, signed from Salford on a three-month loan deal, went straight into the side at left centre, while Danny Langtree played his first game of the season after hamstring trouble and came through okay.

Oldham could have cut the deficit even further on the last play of the game when Langtree made a typical break and went flat out for the line, only to be brought down just short.

“The way we went after them in the second half, and began to find those gaps, was down to our fantastic fitness,” said chairman Chris Hamilton.

Michael Ward didn’t play after being knocked out at Barrow and loan regular Nathan Mason was left out so he wouldn’t be cup-tied and unable to play in the Challenge Cup for his parent club, Huddersfield Giants.