Roughyeds wait for Allen all-clear

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson will delay naming his squad for the Carnegie Challenge Cup fifth round clash against Gateshead until tonight in order to give Dave Allen chance to recover.

The second row star, so impressive since linking up with Oldham this season, is suffering with a stomach bug which prevented him from taking part in last night’s training session.

Of those injured during last week’s 78-10 win at London Skolars, Craig Robinson (ankle) and Wayne Kerr (knee) are the only players expected to be ruled out of action for tomorrow’s game, which is being held at the Darlington Arena (3pm kick off).

But with Allen struggling, Benson is as-yet unsure as to how his squad which travels north for the last-16 tie will shape up.

“Because we have only four back rowers fit, if Dave is not available then it will change the players we need to use on the bench completely,” said Benson, who reported that Phil Joseph (hip and groin) should be back in contention within two weeks.

“At the moment, I can’t discount anybody.”

Richard Mervill comes into contention following his absence through work commitments and could take Kerr’s place in a side which isn’t expected to contain many changes from that which smashed scoring records in the capital a week ago.

Gateshead, who finished top of National League Two last season to gain promotion to the Championship, could field young Huddersfield prop forward Sam Crowther, who played from the bench in Thunder’s nail- biting 45-42 win over Doncaster last week.

Steve McCormack takes charge of the side for the first time following his appointment earlier this week as the teams do battle in the only fifth-round tie not to feature a Super League club.

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