Pride at stake

SAINTS Danny Earley tries to break through the Leigh Miners defence in last weekend’s superb National Cup win.

DERBY day brings with it extra pressures on Saturday, with Oldham St Anne’s and Saddleworth Rangers both looking to pick up disappointing league campaigns.

The Higginshaw Road fixture (1pm kick off) pits a Saints team buzzing from last week’s superb National Cup win over Leigh Miners Rangers against a Saddleworth team which has a good record away from home this season.

However, St Anne’s currently sit third-bottom of National Conference League division one, while Rangers have lost five of their 11 league matches so far this season — four of those defeats arriving at their Shaw Hall Bank Road home — and can afford few more slip-ups if they are to maintain pre-season hopes of promotion.

“We are desperate for league points and our priority, first and foremost, is getting out of the relegation zone,” said St Anne’s coach Mick Cashin, whose only slight injury worry at this stage is Martin Ryan (ankle).

A victory for the home side would achieve that objective and gain revenge for a 32-2 loss at Saddleworth at the start of the season.

As far as Rangers coach Keith Brennan is concerned, the fact that local pride is at stake is the last thing he wants running through his players’ minds.

“It will be a tough test for both teams,” said Brennan, who has veteran Emerson Jackman back to marshal the pack.

“With it being a local derby I can’t see much being given away in the game.

“A lot hangs on it as well. But I’ll be focusing on us playing the game rather than the occasion.”

Jason Best is set to turn out for Saddleworth once again, fronting up to his former team mates for the first time since his switch of clubs just over a month ago.

In division two, Waterhead face a trip to face Ovenden on Saturday (2pm), a side they beat 30-26 in a thriller at Peach Road.

Mick Slicker is expecting a big challenge from the Halifax-based side who have a number of former Keighley Cougars players within their ranks.

“They have a few ex-pros and are not a bad side judging by when we played them last time, which was on one of our better days,” said the Waterhead coach, who is still without the services of Alan Williamson, Scott Frost and Paddy Slicker through injury.

“We know it is going to be tough up there.”

Waterhead have yet to play a game in December, their last match seeing them fall to a 42-4 defeat at league leaders Milford Marlins.




SID Miller has resigned as coach of Rochdale Cobras following his side’s failure to fulfil the Standard Cup final semi-final tie at Waterhead on Saturday.



The 66-year-old also issued an apology to the Oldham Amateur League and slammed the attitude of the players involved after only SEVEN turned up ready to travel to Waterhead Park for the biggest fixture the newly-formed club had yet faced.

“I sat the players down after our last game and asked if anyone wasn’t available,” said Miller, who will continue his involvement with the Lancashire county under-18s set-up.

“None said anything. I went to training on Tuesday night and 10 turned up, on Thursday there were nine and on Saturday seven.

“It showed there was no respect for me there so I am not going to waste my time any more.

“I am very disappointed about it all and am also very apologetic to the Oldham Amateur League for what has happened, particularly when they have always backed me to the hilt and done things the right way.”

The Cobras club will now be forced to pay Waterhead’s matchday expenses and a fine could follow. All will be decided when the matter goes before the Oldham Amateur League’s committee on Monday, January 5.

Waterhead will contest the final of the Standard Cup against the winners of the yet to be played Oldham St Anne’s-versus-Saddleworth Rangers tie.




WATERHEAD have withdrawn their under-18s team from the Gillette National Youth League, it has been confirmed.



A meeting was held at the club over the matter last Tuesday and the players were informed of the decision at training two days later.

A young and inexperienced team has struggled for numbers as the campaign has gone on and the prospect of travelling to face a strong Celtic Crusaders Colts side with only 13 fit men prompted the rethink.

The hope is that the current squad will stay and train together as normal ahead of entry to the North-West Counties Youth League in the 2009-10 season.