Win fires Oldham’s top-spot ambition

OLDHAM’S 26-10 Northern Rail Cup win against Rochdale Hornets has rekindled their hopes of finishing top of their preliminary pool.

Having won two out of two, North Wales Crusaders are favourites, but Roughyeds will be looking for a big winning margin against Gateshead Thunder at Whitebank next Sunday, while relying on Rochdale to pull off a surprise win against the Crusaders in Wrexham.

The Roughyeds’ fourth and final pool game is at South Wales Scorpions, a cross-pool fixture, on Sunday, March 24, kick-off 3pm.

North Wales, who beat Gateshead 30-4 yesterday, have still to play Rochdale at home and Hemel Stags away.

All Oldham can do is rattle up as many points as possible against the Tynesiders next Sunday and hope that Rochdale can inflict the competition's first defeat on the men from North Wales.

Coach Scott Naylor’s decision to face Rochdale without dual-registered Salford players proved to be the right one in a well deserved 26-10 victory.