Barrow slide gives Hamilton hope

LUKE MENZIES: Re-signed on loan for Oldham.

AS the promotion race in National League Two reaches boiling point, Oldham chief executive Chris Hamilton is hopeful that his club can take advantage of Barrow’s dismal recent run.

Having gone through the first 13 games of the season unbeaten, the Cumbrian side have now lost three of their last four — all away from home, and all against teams in the bottom half of the table.

A 38-6 defeat at Rochdale Hornets yesterday meant the Raiders dropped to second place, following leaders Gateshead’s 44-18 win at London Skolars on Saturday.

The top two face off at Barrow’s Craven Park ground this weekend in a game that will be closely followed by all at title-chasing Oldham.

“With a bit of luck Barrow will continue to slip up,” said Mr Hamilton, whose side face York next after yesterday’s nail biting 30-28 home win over Keighley.

“They have got some tough games left with Gateshead being followed by us, at Boundary Park, then Keighley. And they still have to go to Doncaster. But at the end of the day, we can only look after ourselves.”

Oldham captain Rob Roberts’ sending off yesterday won’t prevent him from playing at the Huntington Stadium this weekend, but a disciplinary hearing a week tomorrow could see him land a suspension.

Luke Menzies played from the start yesterday having completed a second loan move of the season from Hull KR. The young prop forward will stay with Oldham for at least the remainder of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the club have announced that prop forward Simon Baldwin has announced his retirement, while Lee Wingfield has quit the professional game.

Baldwin, now 33, has only been a bit-part player this year due to a succession on niggling injuries that have prompted the former Halifax and Salford forward to call time on his career.

Wingfield has had trouble attending training due to work commitments and will now return to his former amateur club Leigh East.

Jason Boults and Adam Robinson have had the all-clear following knee scans and both could be back in the team on Sunday.