Deakin shrugs off injury concerns

SIMEON HOYLE: Struggling with an ankle injury.

ROUGHYEDS coach Steve Deakin is in a positive frame of mind ahead of a testing trip up to Barrow.

Having last night presided over a final training session prior to Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash at Craven Park, Deakin believes his squad is well capable of coming back with three vital points in the quest for promotion from National League Two.

That is despite injury concerns which have put the participation of some un-named players into doubt.

“You need to focus of what you have got rather than what you haven’t,” said Deakin.

“We are confident that if need be, we have players who can step up to the mark and that they can come up with very good games.”

Luke Sutton — the prop forward yet to make his first-team debut for Oldham — could come into contention, while Craig Littler and Lucas Onyango may be back in action after missing last week’s 16-14 win at Workington.

But decisions over the final make-up of the team won’t be made yet,

“Due to it being a five-day turnaround between games, we have to be prudent and it would be unwise to name a team 48 hours before a game,” Deakin added.

“So we will give people up to the last minute to prove they are fit to play.”

Simeon Hoyle (ankle) and Simon Baldwin (groin) definitely won’t play, though, as both men have been unable to run in training.

The Roughyeds, third in NL2, will arrive in Barrow on the back of a six-match unbeaten run. Another win by would cut the gap between themselves and the league leaders to just a single point, should the home side be kept out of bonus point territory.

In last night’s sole NL2 fixture, Doncaster bounced back from their Northern Rail Cup final thrashing by winning 44-16 away at Swinton.