I’Anson wary of York threat

JAMIE I’ANSON: Oldham need to improve completion rate.

JAMIE I’ANSON has warned his Roughyeds team-mates of the need to stifle promotion rivals York.

The hard-running prop forward, still plagued by an arm injury that requires pre-match painkilling injections, was part of the side which lost in agonising fashion away to the Knights in June.

At 20-18 down, a last-gasp Tommy Goulden try was ruled out by the video referee to deny the visitors what would in all probability have been an extra two Co-operative Championship One points.

As it stands, the Roughyeds are now praying for not only a victory over the Knights at Boundary Park on Sunday (3pm kick off), but also a slip-up from second-placed Keighley — who host Hunslet at the same time — in order to keep alive hopes of finishing behind champions Dewsbury and in the prime play-off spot.

For I’Anson, who typifies the battling ethos shown by the team recently, promotion is very much on the cards provided necessary game plans are adopted fully.

“I would say our chances are as good as they have been all year,” said the former Celtic Crusaders front rower.

“We still have the opportunity to finish second, which is the ideal, and all we can do now is win those two games we have got left.

“I haven’t looked too much at what York have done lately as there has been so much going on here. We just have to look after ourselves, play the game we know we can and the result should take care of itself.

“We were very much in the game over there but one thing we definitely need to watch out for is York’s offloads, as they killed us with them last time.

“We also need to make sure we complete our sets, as our completion rates in the last few weeks have been abysmal.”

I’Anson refers in particular to the two most recent matches at home against London Skolars (28-22) and away at Blackpool (30-30).

Though Tony Benson’s men picked up a five-point haul from those fixtures, the team conceded the advantage to the extent that of a combined 180 minutes of rugby, sloppy but determined Oldham held a lead for a mere five.

“If you look back at those two games, we were under the cosh throughout,” I’Anson added.

“But we still got results in both and it shows the team spirit that exists here now.

“We are a lot closer as a group and came back to pick up points that I don’t think we would have got earlier in the season.”

WRAPS UP

The York fixture represents the Roughyeds’ last home game of the regular season, which wraps up with an away day at Hunslet on Sunday, September 6.

James Ratcliffe, who now coaches the Knights, has a number of new players at his disposal.

Full-back Loz Wildbore, sent off playing for Widnes Vikings in their opening-game defeat by the Roughyeds at the Stobat Stadium this season, has made a switch from Dewsbury and former Salford prop forward Luke Ambler, now with Leeds, is on loan at the club until the end of the season.

Also at York are on-loan Leeds half-back Gareth Moore, ex-Featherstone back row forward Richard Blakeway, full-back Lee Waterman who has arrived from amateurs Skirlaugh and Ian Bell, the much-travelled centre.

In their last game, York trounced London Skolars 64-0 at home with Wildbore and Moore, who claimed a try hat-trick, on the score sheet.