Rangers wary of banana skin

Michael Rowe

HEWORTH have yet register a victory in National Conference League division one, while Saddleworth Rangers are top of the pile.

It sounds like a mis-match. But Rangers coach Keith Brennan, who has a number of injuries to deal with, is not taking anything for granted.

“We don’t want to be the first,” he said ahead of the trip to York, referring to Heworth’s winless record from 10 matches played. We have just got to get back into it and turn up in the right frame of mind.”

Jimmy Rogers (broken thumb), Michael Rowe (knee ligaments) and Liam Coates (finger) are missing, but Brennan is confident his large squad can cope with their collective absence.

Saddleworth are still top of the division by two points, with Castleford Panthers, who lost at Dudley Hill, unable to take advantage of a week’s rest for Brennan’s men.

OLDHAM St Anne’s, top of division two by a point from Eccles, will hope to pick up where they left off last week.

A 54-16 home defeat of rivals Waterhead set up Mick Cashin’s side for an away fixture at Shaw Cross Sharks, who are only being kept off the bottom of the table by Ovenden.

Despite Saints’ hot form, Cashin is not expecting an easy ride in Dewsbury.

“It is always a difficult place to go to so we want to keep up the same level of intensity we showed against Waterhead,” said Cashin, who has an injury doubt in Zac Cotton (ankle).

WATERHEAD, meanwhile, will bid to eradicate the mistakes that cost them the initiative against St Anne’s last week.

Mick Slicker’s side are at home to Castleford Lock Lane and will bid to claim a fourth league victory of the season, one which would ideally push the team up into mid-table.

HIGGINSHAW’S home game against Irlam in North-West Counties League division four has been switched to an away fixture due to an unfit pitch.

DAVID Orwell of Saddleworth Rangers was named man-of-the-match as England Community Lions under-18s lost 22-14 against France Juniors.

The loose forward played alongside club-mates Matty Fogerty and Anthony Morrison in the game, played in the south of France. The team is in action again on Thursday, November 26, against a visiting Australia Institute of Sport side in Widnes.