Roughyeds’ derby-day fight-back to victory

HUGS BETTER . . . Oldham players celebrate after Josh Crowley’s match-winning try (below, left).

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ROCHDALE HORNETS 16, OLDHAM 23

THEY don’t come much better than the try that was the catalyst for Oldham’s dominant second half in the Good Friday derby at Rochdale.

Lewis Palfrey scored it, but it was brilliantly manufactured by the exciting centre-wing, right-flank pairing of George Tyson and Adam Clay.

Tyson created a bit of daylight for his winger up the touchline — the hallmark of any good centre — and Clay swung inside, deftly danced around two defenders with swerve and step and found Palfrey on his inside shoulder, ready to race clear and score behind the posts.

Scored on the stroke of half-time, it was attacking rugby at its eye-catching best; easily the try of the match and one that visibly lifted Scott Naylor’s men as they went in only 14-12 down after a bitterly disappointing opening 40 minutes.

Hornets capitalised on numerous Oldham clangers in the first half hour to race into a 12-0 lead inside 17 minutes. The tries came from Dale Bloomfield and Crook, who converted both of them.

Oldham conceded the first three penalties of the game before Yates made them pay with a long, cut-out pass to the left for Bloomfield to score in the corner against his former team.

Hornets then forced yet another Oldham error which set the scene for Crook’s try and a 12-0 lead.

You would have got long odds at that stage on Hornets going try-less for the remainder of the game.

In similar circumstances, Barrow were rudely awakened to Oldham’s resilience up in Cumbria last month and here was an action replay in which the Roughyeds gradually clawed their way back then went on to seal a rousing victory.

The fightback began when Josh Crowley crashed over wide out on the left and Palfrey landed a superb

conversion off the touchline — the first of his five goals from five attempts.

Lewis Charnock stretched Hornets’ lead to 14-6 with a penalty goal, but from that point on Oldham were to rattle up 17 points, answered only by another Hornets’ penalty by Crook, this one a long-range effort which levelled the scores at 16-16 with eight minutes remaining.

Oldham defended and scrambled superbly in the second half before increasing the tempo. They got in a lot of quick attacks against tiring opponents.

In a tense finish a Crook penalty made it 16-16, but this time the home side made a hash of the re-start kick and from the resulting scrum, Crowley crashed in for his second try and Palfrey added the extras.

Hornets had capitulated by this stage and Oldham again roared upfield before creating the opportunity for Roper to seal an impressive victory with a late drop goal.