Oldham fluff their lines

NO WAY THROUGH: Rob Roberts is halted by tough Doncaster defence

THE season should be done and dusted for Oldham by now.

Unfortunately, instead of picking up the one extra bonus point necessary for all and sundry to put their feet up and look forward to a trip to Toulouse in National League One next year, the Roughyeds are currently involved in a real tear-up for the last remaining promotion spot.

Thanks to this defeat – the first at home for over a year – that task has now become even more difficult.

The division's form club, Rochdale, arrive at Boundary Park next week as the teams do battle to decide who will now take on Doncaster in the NL2 grand final.

Few will be emboldened enough by this to go around making bold predictions as to the outcome of what promises to be a very juicy local derby.

At the halfway point in this game, things looked good.

FIGHTBACK

After shipping in 18 points without response in the opening 24 minutes, Oldham – who hadn't played in three weeks – awoke from their collective slumber to start a rousing fightback.

First Marcus St Hilaire showed there is still life in the old legs by jetting in impressively from 60 metres following an interception.

Then Paul O'Connor was supporting well to field Neil Roden's pass following the stand-off's burst through the line, before Phil Joseph captured a neat kick through from James Coyle.

With Danny Halliwell kicking two goals, the Roughyeds only trailed 18-16 at half-time.

Cheered enthusiastically from the field by the home supporters, the stage was set for the Roughyeds to carry on where they left off. It didn't happen.

Instead, the discipline of the team fell apart, not for the first time this season.

In total, Oldham conceded eight second-half penalties and though they defended manfully at times, the weight of territorial pressure eventually took its toll when a superb long pass from Kyle Wood was taken by Andreas Bauer.

Lucas Onyango pulled it back with a try that followed an in-goal scramble off Roden's deflected kick, but it wasn't much of a surprise when Wayne Riettie crashed home past a tiring defence three minutes from time to end all doubt as to the result.

Coach Steve Deakin sprang a surprise by not selecting record points scorer Mick Nanyn.
The big centre, testing himself in Super League at Harlequins next year, watched from the stands as Doncaster started the game in sprightly fashion.

He will no doubt have been impressed by future team-mate Luke Gale, who helped himself to 20 points.

The scrum-half, also bound for Harlequins, formed a playmaking trio with Kyle Wood and hooker Corey Lawrie which ran rings round the Roughyeds in the opening period.

Zeb Luisi was first on the score sheet after accepting a superb pass from the excellent Craig Lawton, before Gale went in for a pair of tries himself – the second of which came at the end of a beautifully-worked team move. Three Gale goals gave the home team a mountain to climb.

St Hilaire, O'Connor and Joseph provided the promise but a Gale penalty early in a half littered with stoppages edged the Dons further in front

PENALTIES

Ball control began to be a problem for the home side and, allied to a stream of silly penalties, the visitors set up camp in Oldham territory.

After Bauer had broken the stiff resistance on the hour mark, Doncaster never really looked like giving up their lead.

Onyango's effort provided some hope, but that was washed away by Riettie to leave Doncaster within one game of returning to NL1 at the first time of asking.

Match Stats

OLDHAM 20, DONCASTER 32

Oldham: O'Connor; Cardiss , St Hilaire , Halliwell , Onyango ; Roden , Coyle ; Boults, Hoyle, Mervill, Goulden, Robinson, Roberts. Subs (all used): Joseph, Menzies, Brooks, Tamghart.

Tries: St Hilaire (28), O'Connor (35), Joseph (39), Onyango (67).

Goals: Halliwell 2/4

Doncaster: Luisi; Colton, Bauer, Leaf, Reittie; Wood, Gale; Freer, Lawrie, Benson, Green, Lawton, Weeden. Subs (all used): Briggs, Buttery, Hayley, Hart.

Tries: Luisi (8), Gale (17, 24), Bauer (60), Riettie (77).

Goals: Gale 6/7.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield).

Penalty count: 3-11.

Attendance: 1,305

Scoring sequence:

First half – 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 6-18, 12-18, 16-18.

Second half – 16-20, 16-24, 20-24, 20-26, 20-32.

ROUGHYEDS STAR MAN: Rob Roberts – The captain put in plenty of graft on a disappointing afternoon for the promotion-chasing club.