So Tuff to take

SWEET BEFORE SOUR . . . Wayne Kerr scores the first of Oldham’s six tries, but his day was to go downhill when he was sent off in the second half for a high tackle. Pictures by Tim France.

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Oldham 28, York 34

Last-gasp try denies Oldham a happy start at new home

THE going was too tough for the Roughyeds as Tony Benson’s men fell to a first defeat of their Co-operative Championship One season.

On an emotional day for all connected with the club, the Whitebank Stadium was spruced up superbly by an army of volunteers and 1,110 fans watched a tense clash.

But though Oldham managed to hang in for almost the full 80 minutes despite never quite hitting their straps – the loss of main playmaker Neil Roden before the game through injury was a major one – the final word went to York winger Dennis Tuffour.

Knocking the ball from Paul O’Connor’s grasp in a tackle with a minute to go, the Knights man streaked home under the posts to settle the contest after both sides had tried and failed to break the deadlock with drop goals.

The winning try came against 12 men, Oldham losing Wayne Kerr seven minutes after the restart for what appeared to be a harsh decision by referee Peter Brooke.

Acting on advice from a touch judge, Kerr was shown the red card for a high arm on Tuffour, a dual-contract player who is with Hull FC.

A man down, Oldham battled on and, on another day, may well have sneaked home.

It wasn’t to be, but the Whitebank Stadium will no doubt be the scene of plenty of triumphs in the future.

York opened the game strongly and went ahead through a Danny Ratcliffe try as Oldham fell off tackles and made handling errors.

Kerr crashed home off a Martin Roden pass and Matty Ashe – who had a disappointing afternoon – kicked the first of his two goals to equalise.

Mick Fogerty then made a terrific burst down the left to send in John Gillam and when Ashe converted, the Roughyeds looked set to build up a decent score playing uphill.

Then came Tuffour’s first noteworthy moment, snaffling Ashe’s crossfield kick and racing home from 60 metres, Lee Waterman kicking to level at 12-12.

York continued to defy the script containing a wonderful victory for the home side and regained the lead off the back of Joe McLocklan’s 40-20 kick, Steven Lewis getting past some poor defensive work.

Waterman converted and was soon teeing up again after his own try, when left one-on-one with Lucas Onyango only a handful of metres out.

Oldham needed a try before half-time and got one when Paul O’Connor found Onayngo, who slid over in the right corner.

O’Connor then wrestled over after Dave Ellison had showed great pace to race 60 metres downfield.

Kerr’s dismissal followed, but it did not stop Benson’s side from scoring the next try.

It was a beauty, too. Scott Mansfield fired an excellent pass to send Joe Chandler away down the left and Fogerty was on hand to finish the move.

Knights winger Tom Lineham replied after a bout of neat handling, McLocklan missing the conversion to leave York 28-24 up.

More neat build-up play produced O’Connor’s second try, with Ashe and Danny Whitmore involved in the build-up.

But Ashe sliced his conversion badly, again leaving the score all-square.

Ellison was rocked by an apparent head shot by Brett Waller late on – a penalty was awarded and the incident placed on report – and both sides missed with drop-goal attempts before Tuffour had the final say.

Despite the result, it was a day to remember.




Decisions went their way, says Benson

TONY Benson felt his side didn’t quite do enough to pick up an eighth successive Co-operative Championship One victory as York played the role of party poopers at the Whitebank Stadium.

In the club’s first-ever game at their new home, the Roughyeds badly missed injured stand-off Neil Roden as a guiding presence and fell to a narrow defeat.

Despite having the advantage of the slope behind them in the second period, Oldham suffered a controversial red card handed out to prop Wayne Kerr and a late Dennis Tuffour breakaway try gave the visitors three points.

“It is like a morgue in there,” said Benson, pointing to the home changing rooms.

“We had set out to be clinical in the first 20 minutes and keep the ball off them.

“We gave them the hill at the start and then we thought we would wear them down in the second half and come through.

“But we didn’t do that. We gave them too much ball through penalties and some funny decisions.

“The first 20 could be down to us trying to find ourselves with a new half pairing (of Danny Whitmore and Matty Ashe).

“It wasn’t quite the direction we are used to.

“One thing I am proud of is that we hung in there and never gave up, right to the end.

“And it was a fairly lucky try that won it for them.”

On the absence through injury of prop forward Dave Ellison in the latter stages of the second half, Benson felt particularly aggrieved.

“They have to look at the rules,” he said of an incident, placed on report by referee Peter Brooke, in which Ellison was injured in a tackle by Brett Waller.

“If that player stays on the field while Elly has to come off and it just goes on report, then it is a big advantage to them and a huge disadvantage to us.

“It could have been the difference.

“I can’t talk about the decision itself but they have to look at the rules if that is how it works.”

Benson also said he didn’t believe that Kerr should have been dismissed by Brooke, who acted on the advice of a touch judge.

“From what I saw, the player was falling and Wayne didn’t swing an arm or anything like that.

“I was surprised as I didn’t think it would be a sin-binning, to be honest.”