Oldham boss drops hint on Casey and Johnson

ROUGHYEDS new boys Callum Casey and Bruce Johnson, who both starred in the reserves' big win against Sheffield last Saturday, are not included in the second team's party to travel to York tonight (8pm kick-off).

It’s a broad hint that they will be with Tony Benson's first-team squad at Gateshead on Sunday.

Reserve team boss John Hough will take 19 players to the Minster city, including winger John Gillam who will return to the side to continue his quest for full match fitness after two long spells on the injured list.

Also back from injury, after missing the 62-20 trouncing of Sheffield, will be Alex Thompson, Scott Mansfield and Michael Ward.

Squad: Nield, Cotton, Headon, Cookson, Williams, Connick, Dallimore, Joy, Dean, Bradbury, Knight, Hughes, Bland, Eyres, Barber, Gillam, Thompson, Mansfield, Ward.

Hough will be looking for the reserves to further consolidate their position in the top three of the Under-23s Reserve Championship with their eighth win in 11 league outings against a team they beat 52-16 at Whitebank in April.

Roughyeds face a hectic four days, with the reserves in action tonight, the new under-18s side playing their first game against Workington at Whitebank on Saturday (2.30pm) and the senior side heading for the North-East on Sunday to take on the bottom club in the division, Gateshead Thunder.