Oldham target Shay clash

THE outstanding Halifax v Oldham RL game in the Reserves’ Under-23s Championship will take place on Friday at The Shay (7.30pm kick-off).

John Hough’s second team has won five of its eight games, including victories away from home at Featherstone and Keighley, and currently lies fourth in a ten-club division that is mainly made up of Championship sides.

Apart from unbeaten leaders Widnes, no team has lost fewer games than Oldham, who have four games in hand on the two clubs immediately above them, Whitehaven and Leigh.

Roughyeds lost narrowly at Leigh, 30-26, but they go to Halifax chasing their sixth win in eight outings and, on current form, well fancied to qualify for the play-offs.

In the absence of Hough due to unforeseen family commitments, his No 2 Paul Ashton was in charge of the side which won 35-24 at Keighley, with a debut for new boy Bruce Johnson at prop, coming off the bench.

It isn’t known yet whether Johnson and the club’s other new signing, Mark McCully, will play for the reserves on Friday or whether they will be in line for first-team appearances against South Wales Scorpions at Whitebank on Sunday (3pm kick off).

Winger Shaun Robinson and forward Chris Clarke, currently out injured with a damaged thumb, are included in the mythical Co-operative Championship One form team for May.

Friday’s meeting of the Roughyeds’ Supporters' Association (ORSA) has been cancelled due to the rearranging of the reserves game at Halifax. The next get-together will be on July 1 at Whitebank (8pm).