Town hold key to play-off chances

WRAPPED UP: Roughyeds hooker John Clough, a scorer against Workington last time out, is tackled by Keighley prop forward Ryan Benjafield during the 36-14 win at the Whitebank Stadium last week.

WORKINGTON Town are the single most important foe the Roughyeds will face this season.

As well as this Sunday's game at Whitebank (3pm kick-off), the pre-season folding of Blackpool Panthers and the fixture gap it created means that Tony Benson's side will still have to face the Cumbrian side AGAIN before the start of the play-offs.

The second league visit to Derwent Park of 2011 comes in the last round, on Sunday, September 4.

In total, there are only four matches left for in-form Oldham to try to claw their way past their play-off rivals into the table's upper reaches.

Win both of the games and Benson's stated goal of achieving another play-off final appearance would be a lot more realistic than if defeats were to arrive.

Last time out in Cumbria in March, Oldham's coach placed the blame of a 31-12 loss on the "immature" rugby played by his side.

Ben Wood and John Clough scored tries for the visitors but it was too little to halt the Town juggernaut. Coach Gary Charlton's men were 24-0 up and in full control when, with a quarter-hour remaining, Workington prop Ryan McDonald was sent off for leading with a forearm.

Destroyer-in-chief on that day was scrum-half Scott Kaighan and he is likely to line up alongside Darren Holt in the halves — a player, formerly of Barrow fame, who is not likely to be accused of being immature at 34 years of age.

Workington's recent from has been good, aside from a slip in losing 45-20 to Rochdale two weeks ago.

Town hammered Swinton 36-16 at Derwent Park at the start of the month, inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the Co-operative Championship One leaders.

And last week, a pair of tries from livewire Kaighan helped overcome poor travellers London Skolars 41-14.

The scorer of the odd point in that game was Dave Armitstead, the former Barrow and Leigh forward who was once named National League Two player of the year.

The Roughyeds are hoping to make it 12 wins out of 14 at home this season in all competitions by picking up three points.

A victory could push the team up to fifth spot, with matches against Rochdale (away) and South Wales (home) still to come before the second Workington test.


OLDHAM’S reserves face a difficult task in tomorrow’s home game against top-of-the-table Leigh at Whitebank (2.30pm kick-off).
Including friendlies, Centurions are the only team in the Reserves Under-23s Championship not to suffer defeat against John Hough’s men this season.

The Roughyeds’ last second-string loss came against Leigh in a 30-26 reverse back in May.