Heaton hopeful of quick return

WITH the start of play-off rugby only three weeks away, Oldham are hoping full-back Ben Heaton’s ankle injury is not as serious as it first looked.

A rising star at the age of 21, Heaton went down in agony under a tackle during the second half of the Roughyeds’ 48-34 win against South Wales Scorpions at the Whitebank.

The game was held up for a few minutes while he was examined by the club physio and doctor before he was led to the dug-out from where he watched the remainder of the action.

At the end of the game he left pitch-side with the aid of crutches before receiving the club’s man-of-the-match award in the social club.

“It’s not broken, so that’s a big relief,” said Heaton, “but I suppose it will be a few days before I get to know the full extent of the damage.

“It’s two weeks before we play again, at Workington, and the play-offs don’t start until the week after that so I have every chance of making it. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope it responds well to treatment.”

Assistant coach Martin Roden was in charge of training all last week because head coach Tony Benson’s wife was ill in hospital.

Roden left himself out of the 17 that played yesterday in order to supervise, with Danny Whitmore starting at hooker and John Clough recalled to the bench as his replacement.

Benson was present at the game, and in the dug-out, but Roden was in charge to complete the job he had started during the week.

Benson said: “I wasn’t able to get to the club last week because of the circumstances, so Martin stepped up for me. It was only right that he remained in charge of the squad for the South Wales game.”

Roughyeds reserves, who finished second in the Reserves Under-23s Championship, go to table-topping Widnes Vikings in the play-off on Saturday, September 10.