Roughyeds aim to banish their travel blues

SQUEEZING HOME: Roughyeds winger Mark Brocklehurst touches down in the corner against Doncaster.

OLDHAM Roughyeds embark on their trip to the North-East to face Gateshead Thunder still hunting down a first away triumph of the season.

It is a stunning statistic when viewed in comparison with last season — a campaign in which, for the first time in the history of the Oldham RL club, the team went the entire season away from home without defeat.

Boosted by a hard-working 35-18 win over South Wales at the Whitebank two weeks ago, though, the game at the cavernous Gateshead International Stadium (3pm kick-off) won't hold too many fears for Oldham.

Gateshead have lost all but two of their last 40 Co-operative Championship One and Northern Rail Cup matches and in that time frame have shipped in an average of nigh-on 40 points per match.

Playing at the Whitebank Stadium in March, Gateshead were hammered 60-12 in their opening league game of the season, Mark Brocklehurst claiming four tries as Oldham ran riot.

Benson will be warning his men against complacency.

Playing out the only Championship One fixture of last weekend, Gateshead ran Doncaster close before losing 22-6 at home.

The division's bottom-ranked club were holding the Dons — recent 30-0 winners over Benson's men — at half-time.

But the 6-6 scoreline was negated by three tries in the second-half, leaving coach Kevin Neighbour's side with a record of one draw from their 12 league matches played so far.

Thunder's only victory this season came against amateurs Milford Marlins in the Carnegie Challenge Cup in March and the last win over non-amateur opposition was at home against London Skolars (24-18) back in March of 2010.

Gateshead have, however, improved their squad recently. York City Knights duo Mike Mitchell and Danny Wilson have both signed on a month's loan and made debuts against the Dons, with Wilson grabbing Thunder's sole try.

And director of rugby Chris Hood has said the club are trying to bring in a pair of dual-registered Super League players prior to Sunday's match.