Roughyeds set for semi-final duel

OLDHAM head into tomorrow night’s Whitebank semi-final buoyed by the opening-day league win at Rochdale, a remarkable home record and the stamina to run opponents off their feet.

For the third time in five games this year, Roughyeds kept their try-line intact after half time to beat their derby rivals 23-16 and get their League One campaign off to a bright start.

While tomorrow’s visitors North Wales Crusaders were drawing 14-14 at Swinton, Scott Naylor’s men came from 12-0 and 14-6 down to race to victory with 11 points in the last 15 minutes.

After an unconvincing first half, Naylor couldn’t have asked for a better response in the second period as he looked ahead to the iPro Sport Cup semi-final and the opportunity to extend an unbeaten home record to 14 games.

The Oldham coach said: “We are a very fit squad. We’ve still a few things to address, slow starts being one of them. At Rochdale we changed our warm-up routine to see if that would make any difference, but it didn’t appear to, did it? It raises the question what we would we be like if we could start well.

“I picked from a fully-fit squad and it looks like I’ll be doing the same for the semi-final. Crusaders are fancied by many to win cup and league, so I’m expecting a cracker and I hope fans turn up in numbers and get behind us.

“To be striving for a cup final appearance at Blackpool in May on ‘Summer Bash’ weekend is a huge incentive to both clubs.”

Since Naylor took charge at the start of the 2013 season, Roughyeds have been turned over only three times at Whitebank in 24 outings and their last defeat there was by Rochdale in a play-off tie in September of the same year.



THE semi-final is an all-pay game (normal prices), but uncollected season tickets will be needed for Sunday’s first home league game against Coventry and these can be picked up from the refreshment trailer inside the ground from 6.30pm to kick-off. Orders for replica shirts will also be taken.