Skolars smashed in nine-try romp

Liam Thompson scores Oldham’s second try

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OLDHAM 48, LONDON SKOLARS 6

WHILE dropping short of the performance level that will be required when tougher foes come to Whitebank, Oldham did enough to strengthen their grip at the top of Kingstone Press League One.

Nine tries in a 48-6 win against a big, physical London Skolars outfit took Roughyeds’ touchdown tally in the first four league games to 29 - more than seven a game.

With better execution, finishing and decision-making in the first half the side could have racked up 60 points. They will still be looking at how the totally-outclassed Londoners scored on the last play.

Jon Ford couldn’t smother a high and speculative Vince Spurr kick and the Skolars stand-off chased it down to score the softest of tries.

Before that Skolars hadn’t seriously threatened to open up a well-drilled and organised Oldham defence.

Oldham’s forwards made sure they had most of the ball and most of the good field positions to establish a platform from which they scored three first-half tries and another six after the break.

George Tyson, Liam Thompson and Ford scored first-half tries which were all converted by Lewis Palfrey for an 18-0 interval lead. Roughyeds stepped up the tempo in the second half to record further tries by Richard Joy, Tyson, three more by Ford and young full-back Tom Dempsey.

Dempsey could have had a hat-trick. He read the game well enough to be in the right position at the right time on several occasions, only for the final pass to go astray.

He distributed a lot more good passes than he received, one of them a long, cut-out ball to the right which gave Ford the first of his four tries just before half-time.

Tyson, another top performer, came up with an exquisite piece of centre play to give Ford a walk-in at the corner for his second try. His third and fourth were both the product of an uncanny understanding between the two former St Helens boys, Danny Langtree and Kenny Hughes.

Wherever Langtree goes, Hughes is sure to follow. And wherever Hughes goes, you can be sure ‘Langers’ will be on his shoulder.

Couple with that, Langtree’s ability to get out a good pass in the tackle and Hughes’s use of quick hands to gather in the football and you have a winning formula.