Oldham target quick response

“BUSINESS as usual” is the message being put out by Oldham chief executive Chris Hamilton as preparations begin for an away trip to Workington this weekend.

The huge disappointment of losing 20-18 at York last week — a game which hinged on the non-awarding of a late Tommy Goulden try — was compounded by a set of results yesterday which have seen Tony Benson’s men slip to fourth in the Co-operative Championship One table, behind leaders Dewsbury, York and Keighley.

However, as far as Mr Hamilton is concerned there is no need for panic measures.

“The players put everything in and it was a sickener for us to lose at York,” he said.

“But we simply keep on going. We need to get back on track up at Workington, who in fairness have problems of their own at the moment, and we are concentrating on going up there and getting the three points.”

The Cumbrian side sit third-bottom of the table with only one league win all season.

Oldham have no new injury concerns at present and Dave Allen, who pulled out at York prior to the warm-up after complaining of pain in his calf, is back in contention.

Meanwhile, Oldham have been drawn to face Whitehaven, Workington and Featherstone in the first stage of the upcoming Northern Rail Nines competition which will be played at Fylde RUFC on the weekend of July 11 and 12.

Placed in a difficult pool ‘E’ with Sheffield and Halifax — both those sides will take on the same opponents as Oldham — the Roughyeds need to finish above those two Championship outfits if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Should they fail, the team then enters the plate competition. The finals of both the Nines trophy and the plate will be played as curtain-raisers to the 13-a-side Northern Rail Cup Final at Bloomfield Road on July 12.

Weekend tickets for the Nines event are only available the Oldham office on Lansdowne Road, priced at £9 for adults and £5 for concessions.

o OLDHAM reserves enjoyed a third win of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating York 52-10.

It was an impressive display by a youthful Roughyeds side, with Jamie Knight scoring a hat-trick of tries.