Roughyeds riding high

Photo: PICTURES by CHRIS SUNDERLAND

MILES OF SMILES: Gregg McNally can’t hide his joy after scoring his first try for Oldham . . . and Mick Fogarty, Ben Heaton and Lucas Onyango join in the celebrations.

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Oldham 40, Blackpool 26

Towering display puts Blackpool in their place
A COMPREHENSIVE dismantling of a Blackpool outfit sent the Roughyeds soaring back to the top of Co-operative Championship One — while also dispelling fears that the team can’t play to its full ability at the Whitebank Stadium.

Powered by an excellent, dominant pack, Oldham took the game to Martin Crompton’s side and the visitors struggled to come up with the answers.

Six tries — a mixture of careful construction and a clinical finishing of chances offered up by the opposition — were the least the home side deserved.

And shutting out Blackpool from even getting a bonus point in defeat tasted sweet for coach Tony Benson in a fascinating battle for supremacy at the head of the table.

Even after choosing to play against gravity in the first half, Benson’s side stuck to their task manfully and were 16-14 up as the sides switched ends.

Blackpool’s profligacy in bombing at least three certain tries during the game didn’t help their cause.

And nor did Martin Ainscough’s extraordinary failure to control the outstanding Gregg McNally’s long kick from near halfway five minutes after half-time, the stand-in full-back slipping fatally to allow the on-loan Huddersfield scrum-half to nip in and claim a first try in Roughyeds colours.

There was no doubt as to which was the better side on the day, though Oldham did start the game handing over possession early in the tackle count time and again.

After McNally’s early penalty goal had edged the Roughyeds ahead, Ainscough waltzed home in response only for the ‘try’ to be called back for a forward pass by young referee Tim Roby.

A score was on the horizon though and it arrived after eight minutes when swift hands led to Johnny Leather, who retired in the first half after twisting a knee, issuing a long pass from which Tom Woodcock crossed in the right corner.

Chris Clarke, who has been in terrific form during his debut season in the first team, went precious close to putting Oldham ahead once again when his diving effort saw him touch the ball against the protective padding of a post rather than over the line.

The Panthers had another try disallowed for offside but the pressure was mounting as the home side continued to give up the ball.

Only a strong defensive effort kept Blackpool at bay, but on one foray upfield a penalty was drawn in a central position which allowed McNally to level the score at 4-4 just before the half-hour.

Blackpool responded with a cleverly worked effort only a minute later. A good pass from former Roughyeds star Danny Halliwell created the chance which was finished off by another ex-Oldham player Damian Munro. Tom Hemingway kicked an excellent goal from wide on the left.

Then came McNally’s real moment of class. Spotting Paul O’Connor charging into the line, the teenager delayed his pass perfectly to send the full-back into a gap, with Lucas Onyango the ultimate beneficiary.

Though plenty was against him, McNally nailed the conversion from the touchline to draw level at 10-10 before landing another penalty goal.

And it was McNally’s boot that created the next opening. A great kick to the corner was claimed by the scampering Marcus St Hilaire, who twisted and skilfully touched the ball down despite heavy pressure.

Munro’s second try, collecting Stuart Howarth’s high kick, came just before half-time and was a blow.

But Oldham, playing down the slope in the second half, came out with all guns blazing.

First Neil Roden’s grubber kick was pounced on by Joe Chandler, McNally kicking for a six-point lead.

Then came Ainscough’s monumental error which helped the Roughyeds to a 26-14 advantage.

And five minutes later, Dave Ellison crashed home at pace off Danny Whitmore’s short pass, McNally stroking home the conversion to leave the home team in complete control.

Game over? Not quite.

Blackpool centre Casey Mayberry dropped the ball in the act of scoring and McNally soon after limped off the field.

Hemingway went one better for the Panthers and registered his first try on the hour, adding a goal to boot.

He was lining up another attempt only three minutes later when John Gillam was unable to take a spiralling kick, Kurt Haggerty claiming the try.

It left the visitors, now only 34-26 down, sniffing an unlikely comeback.

But then came another great effort from O’Connor, who sped away from halfway after picking up a loose ball before adding the goal to his own try.

That really was game over for a Blackpool team who flattered to deceive. Their misery was complete when Hemingway fluffed a last-minute penalty from a central position 30 metres out, denying them even a consolation bonus point.


Crompton considers position

BLACKPOOL coach Martin Crompton said he may resign after watching his team fall to defeat at the Whitebank Stadium.

The former Oldham Bears captain hinted at internal financial strife at the club following a second successive Co-operative Championship One defeat, which leaves the Panthers six points behind the Roughyeds in the race for promotion.

“I am currently reviewing my position,” said Crompton.

“Internal issues (at the club) are causing a lot of problems for me and my players.

“So I am at the stage where I am thinking what is the point? I am fighting a losing battle. What is the point in carrying on?”

It was a very different story for Crompton’s opposite number Tony Benson.

After winning away at Workington last week, the Roughyeds eased some of the pain inflicted by the crushing 60-4 loss to Hunslet the previous week.

And, inspired by a big forwards effort and excellent guidance from half-back pair Neil Roden and Gregg McNally, a second victory at the club’s new home was thoroughly deserved.

“It was a good win,” Benson said. “We had 15 minutes in the second half added to the 10 in the first where we took our foot off the pedal a bit.

“The first half went to plan. We took going uphill and just wanted to be with Blackpool at half-time.

“That is why we were taking shots at goal, to try to get every point we could.

“It seemed to work. Then in the second half we said not to take any shots and just to get at them as much as we could.

“We did that on defence and attack.

“Blackpool are a dangerous side and were going for the bonus point in coming back at us. They are a difficult team to stop. So we did well.”

Oldham’s coach also praised the influence of Cumbrian youngster Gregg McNally.

In his penultimate game of a current one-month loan spell from Huddersfield, the 19-year-old kicked superbly and claimed his first try in Oldham colours, much to the joy of the vast majority of the crowd of 923 present.

“Gregg is getting better every week,” Benson said. “His defence was good and his positional play was good.

“His kicking came on too and it was also nice to have ‘Rat’ (Neil Roden) back even though he got very tired at the end,

“The atmosphere this place creates is phenomenal and it made it very difficult for Blackpool but invigorating for us.

“The support was brilliant.”


Hat-trick repeat

CENTRE Alistair Williams scored his second hat-trick in two games as Roughyeds reserves walloped Hunslet Hawks 58-20 at Whitebank Stadium on Saturday.

Seven days after hammering York City Knights 48-16 at the same venue, John Hough’s boys put 10 tries past Hunslet with scrum-half Mick Diveney landing nine goals from 10 attempts to follow up his eight-from-nine performance against York.

Williams (22), a former Hollinwood centre, scored his hat-trick inside 35 minutes and then limped off with an ankle injury, never to return.

Other try scorers were Mark Smith (two), Michael Cadd (two), Danny Chetwynd, Mark Brocklehurst and Scott Mansfield.