Flying start for gritty Roughyeds

SWINTON 20, OLDHAM 38

AN EXCELLENT all-round display at home-from-home Sedgley Park saw Oldham Roughyeds start their Co-operative Championship One season with a bang.

Seven tries – three from winger Lucas Onyango – and five Matty Ashe goals provided the points for Tony Benson’s side, who also had a pair of tries disallowed against a Swinton side full of talent, but badly lacking in cohesion.

The Roughyeds did not have things all their own way in an entertaining clash.

At 16-4 up in the first half, the introduction of Lions substitutes Phil Joseph and Lee Wingfield – both former Oldham players – fired up the home side.

Two tries in the four minutes before half-time from Wingfield and Joseph and another four minutes after the break by another ex-Roughyed Tommy Grundy threatened to turn the game on its head.

But Oldham, led superbly by Roden cousins Neil and Martin, responded to going 20-16 down by running in four more tries to seal three points and deny Swinton the consolation bonus point.

The only black mark on the game from the visitors’ perspective was the red card shown to Wayne Kerr in the final minute.

The prop forward got himself involved in an ugly mass brawl which then fragmented into smaller fights and was shown a red card by referee Craig Halloran, along with Swinton’s former Oldham scrum-half Ian Watson.

After a nip-and-tuck opening, Oldham opened the scoring when a devastating break by the dangerous Mick Fogerty set up supporting full-back Paul O’Connor to race in under the posts, Ashe adding two more points.

A penalty for a high shot on O’Connor gave Ashe the chance to add another goal before quick hands from Swinton saw Gavin Dodd send over Dave Hull in the right corner.

O’Connor then turned creator, spinning out a pass which Onyango did well to collect, the winger skirting round the defence to dive over.

Strong defence kept the Lions at bay as they introduced a high-calibre set of substitutes and on Oldham’s next attacking foray, Onyango collected one of a number of Ashe kicks to the corner when Dodd and Marcus St Hilaire both jumped and missed.

From the restart, O’Connor fumbled the ball and in the few minutes before half-time Swinton came back strongly.

First Wingfield wriggled over from close range, Dodd converting, then Joseph bulldozed his way over the line on the left to make the score 16-14 in the Roughyeds’ favour.

Wingfield’s superb 50-metre kick at the start of the second period set the tone for the opening few minutes and Grundy piled through tackles from near to the line, Dodd adding the conversion to give Swinton the lead for the first time in the match.

But instead of capitulating, Oldham found strength in adversity.

Once Onyango had benefited from quick hands to register his hat-trick try, there was no looking back.

Superb skills from Fogerty and Mark Brocklehurst set up Martin Roden to race home, Ashe kicking the goal, and another lovely move which resulted in a ‘try’ was then pulled back for an offside call.

As the game entered its final quarter it was clear the Roughyeds were on the look-out for a try rather than a drop goal to seal the contest.

Going close when Fogerty’s effort off a Neil Roden pass was adjudged to have gone forward, Oldham got their reward for bright attacking play when the creator-in-chief sent out a clever short pass for Kerr to crash over, Ashe’s boot putting the visitors 12 points in front with 10 minutes remaining.

Joe Chandler then showed a great turn of pace to race home down the left, Ashe adding the finishing touch with his penalty a minute from the end, just before the big flare-up between the players.




Shame it had to end that way – Benson



TONY BENSON admitted an excellent afternoon for his side was marred by the brawl near the full-time hooter.



After watching his side win 38-20 against an experienced but ill-disciplined Swinton outfit at Sedgley Park, the Roughyeds coach expressed his strong disapproval of the incident which resulted in Lions half-back Ian Watson and Oldham prop forward Wayne Kerr being sent off for fighting.

“I was disappointed with the end,” said Benson. “I felt there just wasn’t enough respect for the game there.

“I will have to look at it again on the DVD. Swinton didn’t have a lot to play for in the end, apart from a bonus point I suppose.

“I was a bit disappointed with the way they reacted and if any of my boys have done wrong I will be very upset.

“The game was hard and played in a good spirit. Things were really good, but I could see it turning. Swinton were getting frustrated.

“It was a real shame as it spoiled an entertaining game.”

Benson was pleased to have registered a victory in the first Co-operative Championship One clash of the season after the Roughyeds had to recover from 20-16 down in the second half.

“In the first half we were on top in all areas,” Benson added. “Territor-ially we were winning the game.

“But we didn’t have enough points and were panicking a little bit near the try-line.

“Also, when things didn’t go our way, I think our heads dropped and they scored two quick tries.

“So we talked about it at half-time and said we needed to toughen up. In the second half, we did that and it was a really good effort.

“I was proud of what we did. We took command and the two tries we had disallowed could have been tries of the year.

“We hung in there, kept going and forced the issue by not allowing them the bonus point.”