Depleted Oldham suffer rare defeat

GIVING IT HIS ALL . . . ball in hand, Oldham's Bobby Cullen makes a break. PICS by TIM ABRAM

OLDHAM Rugby Union Club firsts found themselves edged out of the points after a ding-dong clash with De La Salle, that ended 24-21 in the visitors' favour.

Shorn of injured front-rower Jordan McEwan, the hosts started the North Lancashire and Cumbria League game in jittery fashion and it allowed a close-to-full-strength De La Salle to start the stronger.

Chris Petrou - who kicked a total of four penalties and a conversion while also scoring a try - kicked De La Salle in front in the fifth minute, before Oldham worked their way back into the contest.

Flanker Luke Roscoe's burst of pace made the pressure count and Callum Megram converted before adding a penalty for a 10-3 lead.

Petrou responded by crossing in the corner before the break to put his side within two points.

With line-outs even all afternoon, Oldham had a slight advantage in the scrum, but emerged sluggish on the resumption of play.

De La Salle started to make ground near the breakdown and Steve Brooks touched down under the posts, allowing Petrou to convert.

The visitors' dominance grew and the lead was stretched to 18-10 with a penalty for offside, before Oldham kicked one of their own through Megram.

Back-chat allowed Petrou to make it 21-13, but after De La Salle skipper Lee McCormick was shown the yellow card for attempting a one-handed interception in his own 22, Megram reduced the arrears with the boot.

Josh Watson was then unfortunate to be penalised for ripping the ball out in a tackle and the deadly boot of Petrou made it 24-16.

Oldham, whose man of the match was Gareth Blomeley, hit back and when Gareth Barber spotted a disorganised defence and put in a pinpoint cross-field kick, Alex Jobson made the catch to race in unopposed.

Megram couldn't added a conversion, though, and De La Salle saw the game out as the hosts struggled, with fitness an issue in the second period.