Roughyeds riding high

OLDHAM’S Liam Thompson is pulled to the ground.

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OLDHAM 50, SCORPIONS 22

SECOND-ROW pair Josh Crowley and Danny Langtree were back to their early-season best as Oldham smashed South Wales Scorpions 50-22 on one of the hottest days of the year.

As title-chasing Roughyeds went on the rampage in the second half to win their fifth game in a row and ninth in 11, a shirt-sleeved crowd applauded every tackle and roared their approval of every try.

There were six in the second half, nine in total.

They pushed Scott Naylor’s boys to the dizzy heights of top spot in Championship One, cranking up the pressure on title favourites North Wales Crusaders, whose two games in hand include a box-office showdown at Whitebank on July 28.

If Oldham play then like they did in the second-half in this one, they’ve got to be in with an even-money shout of extending their lead at the top.

One of this Oldham side’s endearing qualities is its ability to respond to a challenge and to increase the tempo when necessary.

Naylor demanded that at half-time when Scorpions led 22-18.

Boosted by five dual-registered men from Wigan Warriors, Scorpions looked a good side in the first 40 and were full value for their interval lead.

Scorpions had enough football ability and speed wider out to turn good approach work into points as they did with first-half tries by hooker Ron Moores, winger Jones, centre Lyon-Fraser and the impressive Billy Sheen.

In reply, the irrepressible Sam Gee created a try out of nothing for his skipper Lewis Palfrey; then set up another for Mason with the assistance of Mark Hobson; and finally scored himself from dummy half.

Defensively, Roughyeds could have done a lot better, so at half time Naylor’s rocket was the charge they needed to get sparks flying.

And fly they did. In a one-sided second half, Roughyeds rattled up 32 unanswered points; kept Scorpions pinned in at the bottom end of the ground for most of the half; stopped them from scoring; and added six more tries of their own to complete a rout.

With 10 second-half minutes gone Oldham had turned a 22-18 deficit into a 34-22 lead and even at that early stage Scorpions looked as though they had little left in the tank.

Oldham were completely dominant now and further tries were to come.

Palfrey’s second was reward for his razor-sharp support work which enabled him to get up alongside the pacy Langtree to take a peach of a pass and go in.

Oldham’s captain finished with a haul of 22 points from seven goals and two tries.