Cumbrian amateurs will pose big threat

SCOTT Naylor will warn his Oldham outfit to expect a rough ride in their cup clash with crack Cumbrian amateur side Egremont Rangers.

Having lost first time out at Hunslet Hawks last year, the Roughyeds' boss is eyeing a decent run in the Tetley's Challenge Cup in his second season at Whitebank.

But as player and coach he's been in the business long enough to know his young squad will have to negotiate a potential minefield on the Cumbrian coast next month.

Of the 11 amateur teams through to the third round, Egremont is the only one to face opposition from beneath second-tier Championship level and, as such, will be considered to have the best chance of causing an upset.

Said Naylor: "We'll have to be on our mettle. Cumbria is never an easy place to go to. They will have a good-sized crowd behind them and they will see it as their one big chance to take a professional scalp.

"We'll be as well prepared as we will for every game, but it won't be easy.”

The Egremont game will be a re-run of the 2012 clash, which Oldham edged 22-14 in a tie played on a Friday night at the Recreation Ground, Whitehaven, in front of nearly 500 fans.

The side included only three players still at the club – David Cookson, Jason Boults and Danny Whitmore.