Benson stands by winning formula

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson has stuck to a policy of enforced changes only as he bids to enhance qualification prospects in the Northern Rail Cup tonight.

While Thomas Coyle (knee), Robert Roberts (back) and Stevie Gibbons (shoulder) are all ruled out through injury, the remainder of the 17 which defeated Widnes on Friday night stays intact for the visit of Rochdale Hornets to Boundary Park (7.45pm kick off).

Neil Roden moves up from 18th man duties to start at stand-off, Dave Allen returns at loose forward and Craig Robinson is on the bench against his old club. Other than that, the only difference is that Paul Highton starts at prop with Jason Boults as substitute.

“The aim is to get continuity as it is difficult to improve without it,” Benson said, ahead of his first competitive home game as Oldham coach.

“It is fantastic for us that Dave Allen is back as he probably showed more promise than anyone in the pre-season games, while Neil Roden did very well in the friendlies too.

“We are expecting a good atmosphere for what should be a real spectacle and we hope the people of Oldham come down to support us.

“We need the three points tonight if we are serious about getting to the quarter-finals of this competition.”

Oldham: O’Connor; Ballard, Halliwell, St Hilaire, Greenwood; Roden, J Coyle; I’Anson, Joseph, Highton, Baines, Goulden, Allen. Subs: Kerr, Boults, Reilly, Robinson. 18th man: Lucas Onyango.

Rochdale were missing the services of Tommy Gallagher (hamstring) and Dave Cunliffe (groin) in their 54-12 home defeat to Barrow, but former Oldham half-back Chris Hough is in coach Darren Shaw’s squad.

Rochdale (from): Giles, Gillam, Fogerty, Mayberry, Johnson, Ainscough, Gambles, Best, Grundy, Raftery, Corcoran, Sinfield, Brocklehurst, Butterworth, McLoughlin, Smith, Isherwood, Billings, Hough, Gallagher, Cunliffe, Bretherton.