Simply awful

NO WAY THROUGH . . . Oldham’s Neil Roden attempts to breach the York City Knights defence, but his run is halted

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First-half horror show sends Oldham crashing to costly defeat

York 40, Oldham Roughyeds 24
A RAGGED first-half display from the Roughyeds laid the foundation for a costly defeat at the Huntington Stadium, with a bonus point once again proving out of reach.

Steve Deakin’s ill-disciplined side found themselves 30-4 down at half-time after the worst 40 minutes of rugby the team has produced all season.

Despite a revival after the break, the scoring gap was just too big to overcome and a fourth league reverse of the season now leaves the Roughyeds with the likelihood of a play-off campaign to traverse come the end of a long and tough season.

Even four wins from four won’t necessarily be good enough for a top-two place.

With a number of teams, including play-off contenders York, hitting form, National League One looks a long way off for the pre-season title favourites.

In fairness, the Knights played some terrific rugby at times. The try five minutes before half-time would have graced Super League; former Castleford second row Tom Haberecht released winger Steve Lewis with a wonderful offload in his own half, before the ball was spread at pace to the opposite flank for John Oakes to slide over.

But the Roughyeds failed to learn from their mistakes. Consistently punished by referee Matthew Kidd, the nine penalties conceded by Steve Deakin’s side did much to hand York — playing with the wind in the opening period — easy yardage when emerging from their own territory.

The York forwards got on top and the wily March brothers, scrum-half Paul and loose forward David, orchestrated attacks, cajoled the officials and generally wound the Roughyeds up a treat as their side ran in try after try.

Five of the Knights’ seven tries came in the first half as Oldham’s goal line defence proved vulnerable time and again, with two coming from dummy-half scrambles close to the line.

With the wind at their backs, the second half saw the visitors come out in determined mood. Putting behind them a horrendous start — Richard Mervill lost possession one-on-one on the kick return and replacement hooker Tom Hodgson burrowed over from dummy-half— tries in quick succession from Phil Joseph and Ian Hodson were followed up by an individual effort from James Coyle which left the score at 34-24.

Good ball movement on the left saw Tommy Goulden unleash Mick Nanyn with a slick pass, who in turn sent Daryl Cardiss away down the line, only for full-back Danny Ratcliffe to bring an end to his hopes, prior to an unwise offload which lost possession.

Presuming Nanyn would have converted — he nailed everything else, so there is no reason not to — that would have left the visitors only four points adrift.

Perhaps with narrow two-point wins over Workington and Keighley in recent weeks, it was too much to ask for. But the one-on-one missed tackle which let in Ratcliffe for the try two minutes from time, taking away the bonus point, was a real hammer blow and one that should have been avoided.

Starting the game without Rob Roberts, taken ill on the morning of the game, Oldham found themselves a try down after five minutes when Dave Buckley dived over from dummy half after a similar effort had been repelled well by Paul O’Connor on the previous tackle.

Nanyn levelled it up after Neil Roden’s grubber found its way into his hands via a knock-on from each team, before Richard Mervill was tipped up on returning the ball.

The incident went on report and Mervill had to leave the field, player-coach Paul March clearly riling the visitors in giving the perpetrators the high-five treatment afterwards.

Gareth Langley’s mistake led to the next score, making a hash of attempting to control David March’s kick to the in-goal with his boot and allowing Ratcliffe to dive in, Adam Mitchell converting for a 12-6 lead.

It didn’t get any better from there on in. Phil Joseph missed out on taking down Paul March in a move which led to Paul Hughes diving over, on the back of a penalty awarded to the home side when they were defending deep in their own territory.

Following a strong challenge on Steve Lewis which went on report, Paul March claimed the rebound of his own kick which struck the posts to run in and score, before Oakes’ super effort was added to by a last-minute penalty after Mervill’s high shot on debutant Nathan Massey.

After Hodgson’s effort at the start of the second period, Joseph’s was another powerful surge from close range. Coyle then set up Hodson following a side-step before surging through the line to claim his 20th try of the season.

Said Tamghart and David March spent the rest of the game on the sidelines, the Frenchman responding none too kindly to a pat on the back from the loose forward.


Deakin slams ‘atrocious’ discipline

ROUGHYEDS coach Steve Deakin felt his side contributed to their own downfall at York through shabby discipline and a series of crucial errors.

The visitors conceded 17 penalties in a frustrating, stop-start game, on their way to a 40-24 defeat which has significantly dented hopes of claiming an automatic promotion place in National League Two.

“Our discipline was absolutely atrocious,” Deakin said.

“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb, though I think we showed some character in the second half.

“It is a game that obviously got away from us. The other disappointing thing is that I thought some of the errors we made were continuous.

“I don’t think it is a lack of honesty. It is just a lack of smarts and it had burnt us.

“But we have to get back on the horse and get ready for Wednesday (at Doncaster). We can’t feel sorry for ourselves and we need to make sure we get wins from now until the end of the season.”

Once again, Oldham failed to pick up a bonus point in defeat and that means even a four-match winning streak between now and the season’s end won’t guarantee a top-two place.

Deakin pulled no punches either on that point, or on the way he felt the game was refereed by Castleford official Matthew Kidd.

“That (the failure to get a bonus point) is the most frustrating thing about it,” he added.

“This season, we have committed suicide, absolutely committed suicide, in the games in which we have been beaten.

“Every game we have lost was winnable. Even today, at 30-6 at half-time it isn’t necessarily game over. It is a big hill to climb and what we had to do was score first.

“Yet they scored first when we were coming out with the ball. We need to be a bit tougher on ourselves.

“The standard of officialdom in the game today hit about as low as it could possibly go. I don’t know how many penalties there were in the game (there were 32) but I think it is an absolute joke to be honest.

“How on earth they can give a game of that magnitude to a referee that inexperienced is beyond me.

“Having said that, it wasn’t the referee who missed the tackles.

“The damage was done by half-time and we just wanted to win the second half and then see how much we could win it by.

“When we got to 34-24, Daryl Cardiss and Mick Nanyn made a break and if we score then, with five minutes left we need another score to win the game.

“But I am just very, very disappointed. For the amount of talent we have got in the team, we just didn’t see it today and I am disappointed for everybody.”