Win so vital — Roberts

Rob Roberts

OLDHAM captain Roberts says that a win tomorrow night will go a long way to making it a three-way fight for the anticipated two automatic promotion spots from National League Two.

Currently third, the Roughyeds' setback in losing 32-12 at Barrow was mitigated two days later by defeat for Gateshead at Keighley.

It means that the Roughyeds are now five points adrift of second-placed Thunder, with a match in hand.

While tomorrow's opponents Doncaster are lurking in fifth — with eight points less than Oldham, having played three less games — Roberts reckons it will be tough for Ellery Hanley's men to make up the ground should they lose at Boundary Park.

"Keighley did us a big favour against Gateshead," said Roberts, who was present to help launch the club's special one-off pink kit which is to be used for the televised game.

"There is a long way to go, but I think if we beat Doncaster it puts a massive dent in their automatic promotion hopes and it would almost make it into a three-horse race.

"Doncaster have got a lot of games left including a couple in midweek, one of which is against us next month.

"We know they have got dangerous players in their side after watching a video of them in action.

"But the game is a big chance for us to show our skills on Sky Sports and we will be throwing the ball around."

Oldham's last defeat at Boundary Park came by way of a 32-18 loss to Celtic Crusaders in a match late last season, also broadcast live, which attracted a record 4,327 crowd.

With tomorrow's game representing the Roughyeds' return to the ground following a two-month break for summer pitch work, the squad is determined to maintain that good record.

"Hopefully the fact we lost our last televised game at Boundary Park isn't an omen," Roberts added.

"We seem to enjoy the open spaces at Boundary Park and hopefully there will be plenty of fans there to get behind us and help us get the win that we need."

As for the defeat in Barrow last week, Roberts believes that the team's efforts weren't to blame as much as bad luck with injuries, also pointing to the out-of-the-blue try nine minutes into the second period which knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.

"To be honest I think we did alright up there," he sad.

"At half-time we were still in it. We had lost a bit of shape with Neil Roden going off, but at 10-6 down at Craven Park, we would have taken that.

"Then, up to their second try we were winning the second half. It was a bit of a freakish one and it reminded me of the one Byron Ford score for us in the play-offs against Swinton.

"I think at the back our of minds, we were thinking of who we didn't have on the bench. Usually after 20 minutes Said (Tamghart) will come on and give us a lift, a second wind.

"We lost myself from the pack during the match and with no disrespect to Luke Sutton — it is hard enough playing your first game for the club in a game like that — nobody outside Super League has an impact like Said.

"We had also lost impact from the bench with Matty Brooks going to number six as well.

"We have to be disappointed, overall. But at the same time, Deaks was proud of what we did.

"We showed character right to the end, as you saw with James Coyle going over at the death."