Oldham climb to second place

EARS PINNED BACK: Full-back Steven Nield makes a break for the line for Oldham at Gateshead yesterday.

OLDHAM’S impressive 32-14 win at Gateshead lifted them to second place in Championship One - level on points with leaders York but with an inferior for-and-against record.

Hunslet are two points behind in third, but with a game in hand.

Coach Scott Naylor described the performance on Tyneside as ‘exemplary’ and said he believed his young side was now coming of age.

“We showed a level of maturity I haven’t seen in all my time at the club,” said Naylor.

“We are still a young team in many ways, but in this one we played like a side with a lot more experience.

“In the past I might have seen our heads drop when going 14-6 down against a good side away from home, or it would have taken us a long time to get back into the game.

“Not this time. The boys kept their structure, wiped out the deficit then kept the scoreboard ticking along while keeping their own line intact for more than an hour. It was great to see.”

Wingers Dale Bloomfield and Mo Agoro were again among the scorers, Agoro crossing twice to take his tally in league matches to 12 in the last eight games and 13 overall.

All 17 who played at Gateshead are expected to be fit for next Sunday’s game at Oxford.

On August 31 Oldham return to play Gateshead for a third time, in the penultimate game of the regular season.