Gillam facing injury lay-off

UNLUCKY John Gillam, the Oldham RL winger, is facing another spell on the sidelines after damaging ligaments in his left foot near the end of Saturday’s Challenge Cup tie at Hull.

Initial fears that bones in the foot might have been fractured were allayed when the player was examined and x-rayed at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Saturday evening.

Playing only his second game after two months out with a facial injury that required surgery, Gillam was hurt in Lee Radford’s tackle three minutes from the end of the tie at the KC Stadium, in which a depleted Roughyeds team was beaten 82-0 by the Super League outfit. See Pages 34-35 for report, reaction and pictures.

“My foot is the size of a rugby ball,” he said. “But I thought I had broken it so it was a huge relief when x-rays confirmed otherwise.

“Ligaments across the top of the foot are damaged, but I’m hoping I won’t be out of action for more than two weeks, three at the most.

“There was nothing wrong with the challenge. It was just one of those things.

“To happen so near the end in only my second game back was typical of my bad luck this season.”

Coach Tony Benson expects Martin Roden and Neil Roden to be fit for Sunday’s return to Co-operative Championship One action against South Wales Scorpions at Caerphilly RU Club.