Green, green grass of home stuns Oldham

Photo: PICTURES: CHRIS SUNDERLAND

EYE CONTACT: Oldham’s Danny Whitmore attempts to side-step his South Wales Scorpions opponent.

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Oldham 30, Scorpions 35
WHAT is it about the Welsh and their Oldham-born imports?

On the first Sunday in May the Wrexham Crusaders were assisted to a 36-32 win at Whitebank by a try from a young player reared in Oldham, Anthony Morrison.

And on the last Saturday of the month the Neath Scorpions recorded a 35-30 win at Whitebank – and their second try came from big prop James Greenwood from Saddleworth!

Greenwood, his fellow prop Greg Burke and left-wing Ryan King provided Scorpions with a trio of Wigan’s young hopefuls in a squad of 17, no fewer than 12 of them Welsh boys.

Roughyeds couldn’t stop Greenwood taking a flat pass as first receiver and pushing his huge frame over from close range, under the sticks, to take Scorpions into a 12-6 lead midway through the first half.

Roughyeds were desperate to end a run of five defeats and a draw and were able to recall John Gillam, Paul Noone and David Ellison after injury.

From the start, when Whitmore put his first field kick out on the full, Oldham played like a side low on confidence and self-esteem.

No one could fault the side’s willingness to graft — sometimes too hard, conceding penalties in the process. Oldham looked like a side struggling to get itself out of a rut, burdened by the weight of expectation.

Creditably for a side waging a non-stop battle against adversity, Roughyeds finished strongly.

After an early blunder, Greenwood recovered to become Oldham’s most dangerous attacking weapon and frightened Scorpions with another decisive break up the middle, only to put his pass into the hands of a retreating defender.

Scorpions thus hung on to collect three league points against Oldham's one — an appropriate allocation of the spoils.




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