Roberts keen to start again afresh

BOB ROBERTS

ROB Roberts admits Oldham will be glad to see the back of the National League Two season.

The light at the end of the tunnel for a squad ravaged by niggles and knocks is a three-week break before a likely play-off campaign begins.

Should the Roughyeds beat Workington Town this week and end up finishing third — a placing above Barrow in second is still possible, but unlikely — it would finally mean an end to a non-stop season which has hardly given pause for breath since the Law Cup loss at Rochdale is late January.

For a relatively small part-time squad, the demanding schedule has proven to be very tough.

Roberts (pictured, left) revealed that an illness contracted before away defeats at York and Doncaster two weeks ago made things even more difficult on a personal level.

But with a break looming, the 29-year-old sees the play-offs as a perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean.

"As well as a sore hand and ankle I have been feeling tired and jaded due to a virus I picked up," Roberts said.

"I lost half a stone and could really have done with a rest. It knocked me for six.

"I had no energy, missed the York match and didn't even get around to eating until the Tuesday, the day before the Doncaster game (in which he returned).

"I was really tired then and I hate to say it but it was really difficult to get up for the Barrow game on the Sunday.

"I played 80 minutes last weekend at Swinton and was pretty fatigued, along with the other old men out there on the right side, Marcus St Hilaire and Danny Halliwell.

"Everyone is ready for a rest and it will be backs to the wall again on Sunday. We have to pull together again to get the win.

"It is looking like the play-offs for us and when that starts, it is like the competition starts all over again. If you look at the teams going for fourth, they have all turned us over once this season so it will be difficult.

"The good thing is that we are formidable at home and nobody will want to come here.

“Plus we get another two weeks off after that game before the final if we manage to win."

Roberts fancies York, coached by his old Huddersfield colleague Paul March, to make it through to face the Roughyeds on finals day at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington.

But even though he admits it would be a great occasion on which to win, there is lingering disappointment in the squad that Oldham didn't manage to nail down a guaranteed top-two position.

"The lads still look back at that loss at Keighley and the game at Gateshead which came after the Wakefield tie in the Challenge Cup," said Roberts.

"We went up there busted and then fell away in a game we could have won.

"It is just a number of little things that we didn't quite get right. But hopefully we will get the right result on Sunday and if we are in the play-offs, we will have three weeks off to get some of our big guns back on board.”

But despite the absence of men like Mick Nanyn, Tommy Goulden and Matty Brooks, Roberts also pointed to the valiant efforts of the season's mainstays in keeping Oldham's hopes alive.

"A lot of the younger boys have really done it for us this year," he added. "People like Paul O'Connor, who is something of an unsung hero. He has been by far the best player not only for us but arguably in the whole league.

"Then you have Phil Joseph, who played really well through an injury at Swinton, and Jason Boults.

“Boultsy doesn't make much noise on the field — in fact he is probably the quietest prop forward you will ever come across.

"But he will also take two balls up for you every set, rarely makes a mistake and has been great for us."