Credit has to go to unbeaten Dewsbury

HAVING watched the video of the Dewsbury game, it is difficult to get away from the one fact everything keeps on coming back to — that they played very well.

We put pressure on ourselves by not scoring in the opening 20 minutes when we had all of the ball near their line and for them to go ahead through a lucky break with the interception try was tough to take.

The next Dewsbury try came off a kick which bounced strangely and into a player’s hands before he went over the line.

The way we had played, though, I was surprised at the 22-0 score at half-time.

That comes down to their defence, which was very good, and if we had been playing against any other side in the division then I would have backed us to be ahead by at least a similar margin at the halfway point.

There is also the factor that Stevie Gibbons was absolutely convinced he had scored in the first few minutes and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t given.

If it wasn’t a double-movement, then he felt it was a definite try.

But once that decision had been made it was over with and we had to focus again.

The players were really disappointed in the changing room after the game. Some of them may be confused as to why the game turned out as it did and we are trying to find out the reasons behind it. The bottom line is that Dewsbury didn’t allow us to play.

We weren’t pushing through enough, either.

Thomas Coyle or James Coyle were getting to the line and there was nobody there with them. By the time the support did arrive up there it tended to be too late and the ball had already been tied up.

That comes from a lack of momentum in the first place. Their defence was very good and they slowed us up and stopped us going forward.

It was very hard for Thomas and James to play off the back of that if there is no momentum.

Our timing was out, but full credit to Dewsbury for playing a really good game.

Questions for Tony? Email him at tonybenson@oldham-chronicle.co.uk