Gibson boost for Roughyeds

TONY BENSON’S injury worries appear to be easing, with only three players unable to take part in training last night.

Tommy Goulden (hamstring), Dave Allen (bruised hip) and Robert Roberts (rib cartilage) sat out the session, but there was better news elsewhere.

Chris Baines was involved with the rest of the squad — albeit with no full contact work — despite hyper-extending an elbow in the weekend’s defeat away at Keighley. The second row forward is rated as an outside bet to play against Workington at Boundary Park on Sunday.

Jamie I’Anson and Paul Reilly both picked up shoulder injuries at Cougar Park but both trained as normal, as did Stevie Gibbons and Craig Robinson.

Gibbons, who has made only one fleeting yet impressive appearance for Oldham since joining the club due to a shoulder injury, took part in a full contact session last night for the first time since sustaining the knock away at Widnes last month.

Robinson, who suffered a more severe form of the injury affecting Baines, has been absent for five weeks but is now approaching full fitness.

It had been hoped that a reserves friendly could have been arranged in order to give Gibbons and Robinson a run-out, but that has not come to fruition.

SADDLEWORTH Rangers are relishing the big challenge tonight as Siddal visit Shaw Hall Bank Road in the Ace Insurance (Europe) BARLA National Cup quarter-finals (7.30pm kick off).

Rangers coach Keith Brennan makes a late check on the fitness of Jason Best (ribs) but otherwise selects from a fully-fit squad boosted by an important win over Normanton Knights at the weekend. “It will be a different environment for them under our lights and it is a good test that we are really looking forward to,” said Brennan, who pits his coaching wiles against Roughyeds winger Lee Greenwood, who is in charge of National Conference League premier division outfit Siddal.

The winners tonight have a home tie against Queens awaiting them in the last four.