O’Connor back in Roughyeds line-up

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson has brought back Paul O’Connor to the full-back slot for tonight’s big televised duel at York.

Left out of the squad for Oldham’s last game, the home defeat to Featherstone a full three weeks ago, O’Connor returns in place of Paul Reilly, who is likely to take a place on the bench.

“I needed Paul Reilly to gain experience of playing there for us in case anything happens to Paul O’Connor, which he has now done,” said Benson, explaining the move.

Elsewhere in his 18-man squad for tonight’s game at the Huntington Stadium (7.30pm kick off), Benson has kept intact the half-back partnership of Neil Roden and James Coyle, with Thomas Coyle coming back into the line-up as a replacement hooker off the bench.

Chris Baines moves to loose forward in the absence of Robert Roberts (knee), Tommy Goulden is promoted to the starting line-up and Paul Highton and Craig Robinson are the two starting props.

Richard Mervill and Phil Joseph are out of the side with work commitments interfering with their ability to train, Luke Menzies misses out with an ankle injury and there is a return to the first-team squad for explosive pair Jamie I’Anson and Wayne Kerr.

Benson is expecting a rough ride against a York outfit only a point behind Oldham in the Co-operative Championship One standings.

He said: “The only concern is the effect of the big lay-off between games. In that time York have played against a couple of good sides and done pretty well.”

The latest news on Roberts’ knee injury is that he doesn’t require surgery. Instead, he will wear a removable protective cast for three weeks and resume running in training after that, meaning a likely return to action in early August.

Oldham: O’Connor; Ballard, Halliwell, St Hilaire, Greenwood; Roden, J Coyle; Highton, Sykes, Robinson, Allen, Goulden, Baines. Subs (from): Boults, I’Anson, T Coyle, Reilly, Kerr.