Noone eyes repeat show

PAUL Noone, influential in Oldham’s 52-26 demolition of London Skolars, is hoping for more of the same when Hornets visit the Whitebank Stadium on Friday (kick-off 3pm).

And the second row forward, who picked up the club’s official man-of-the-match award on Sunday, reckons the Roughyeds are gradually getting back to their best.

Noone, the former Warrington, Widnes and Barrow forward, was treated near the end of the game for a severely blistered toe, but he is expected to be right for the Rochdale showdown.

“We are on the right lines again,” he said. “Hopefully we will prove that on Friday.

“Don’t read anything into the fact that we scored eight first-half tries against Skolars — and only two in the second half.

“I’ve been involved over the years in a lot of games where one side has built up a huge half-time lead and has then been unable to reproduce it again in the second half. It’s an extremely difficult thing to do.”

Meanwhile, teenage centre Matthew Fogarty will be treated for an abdominal injury as preparations for the derby clash get under way.

The 18-year-old local boy was hurt making a tackle near the end of the Roughyeds’ 10-try win over Skolars and was forced to leave the field.

“He had a great game,” said Oldham chairman Chris Hamilton. “So did Mick Diveney and Shaun Robinson.”

Valu Bentley, who also has an abdominal injury, will join Fogarty for rehab and assessment before coach Tony Benson names his squad to take on the Hornets.

Ben Wood, who damaged a thumb in the first-team’s defeat at Keighley two weeks ago, had recovered sufficiently to be named as 18th man against Skolars.

Benson revealed that in the two weeks Oldham had to get ready for the Skolars game they had shifted the emphasis in training from physical disciplines to mental ones.

“We worked on our heads,” he said. “It was different, but I’m sure it has made a difference. It’s all about mental toughness and our ability as a team to maintain what we are doing while under pressure.”