Injuries delay Benson choice

FINAL checks will be made on a number of Oldham players before coach Tony Benson finalises his plans for the home game against Swinton at Boundary Park on Sunday (3pm kick off).

Danny Halliwell (dead leg) was injured early in the Dewsbury defeat last week and struggled to train earlier in the week, putting a question mark over the fitness of the centre to take his place in the side at Boundary Park.

Of those who missed out through injury against the Rams, Neil Roden (back) should be fit for the game and may be named on the bench along with Paul Reilly (ankle).

Influential captain Robert Roberts is all set to lead the team out on home turf, provided he suffers no reaction to his rib cartilage injury between now and game-day.

Benson may opt to bring back the explosive prop forward pair of Jamie I’Anson and Wayne Kerr. Both men played in the reserves rather than the first team last week but both are included in the provisional 21-man squad with fellow front rower Richard Mervill dropping out of the picture due to work commintments both this week and next.

Phil Joseph (hip and groin) is definitely out of contention for Sunday.

Paul Kidd’s Swinton side sit second in the Co-operative Championship One league table on 12 points, having taken four wins from as many games played so far.

Should Oldham defeat the Lions, they would overtake them in the table, albeit having played a game more.

Oldham (from): O’Connor, Ballard, Halliwell, St Hilaire, Greenwood, J Coyle, T Coyle, Highton, Gibbons, Menzies, Allen, Baines, C Robinson, Sykes, Goulden, Onyango, Roberts, Roden, Reilly, Kerr, I’Anson.