Oldham victorious after no-show from officials

ROCHDALE Hornets and the RFL will try to unravel the mystery of missing match officials after Oldham under-20s secured a 46-20 win at Mayfield last night.

It gave Oldham a 2-1 triumph in the three-match series and delighted coach Phil Costin, who saw his young Roughyeds run in eight tries.

He said: "Hornets coped better with the pre-match disruptions and delays, but once we got going in the second half there was a total transformation. We scored some fine tries and finished worthy winners."

Although the fixture was listed on the RFL website and included in weekly information sheets distributed to the media, neither referee nor touchjudges turned up.

An inquiry will follow, but the fault would appear to lie with league HQ and the department that deals with referees' appointments.