Oldham are rolled over

Photo: Chris Sunderland

JUMP TO IT: Oldham’s Jack Hawkins tries to win possession at a line-out against Workington.

OLDHAM Rugby Union first team let an early lead slip as they went down 31-7 at home to Workington in the North Lancs/Cumbria division.

The game was closer than the score suggests, but Oldham conceded too many penalties and found it difficult to combat Workington’s highly-effective rolling maul which contributed to three of their tries.

Oldham, in fact, made the better start despite the dreadful conditions which did not help their running game.

They almost took a sixth-minute lead when they moved the ball along the line for wing man Andy Gorey to kick ahead only to lose the chase for the touchdown.

With Charlie Roscoe doing well in his first appearance at scrum-half and the forwards holding their own in the scrum and at line-outs, it was no surprise when Oldham went in front after 11 minutes.

From a line-out, Roscoe fed Gareth Barber who put centre Joe Hesse through a gap just on halfway. Hesse beat off several defenders before driving over the line for a try which Mark Goodman converted.

Workington responded with a well-worked move of their own which ended with winger Bede O’Connor scoring wide out.

And they went ahead when the referee awarded a penalty try, converted by Kevin Harper, following a series of rolling mauls. Oldham No 8 Ross Cooper was sin-binned for pulling down the maul.

Oldham lost Hesse with a dislocated finger early in the second half and found themselves 17-7 behind when second-row Jason Howarth rounded off another rolling maul with a try - soon followed by a penalty from Harper.

Things went from bad to worse when Andrew Branthwaite charged down an attempted Oldham clearance kick and followed up to score an unconverted try.

And, despite their best efforts, Oldham’s fate was sealed when the Workington forwards again engineered a converted touchdown late in the game.

Oldham, who have no game this weekend, have rearranged their match with Eccles for January 2 (2.15 kick-off).




Injury-hit A team slump to defeat

INJURY-HIT Oldham A slumped to a 45–17 defeat at Broughton.

Without Chris Heap (hand), Nathan Taylor (shoulder), Matt Jakeman (shin), John Hayes (back), Alan Pierre (ill), Matt Brogan (1st team call- up), Will Mellor (back), and Matty Collins and Rob Froggett (unavailable), Oldham were up against it.

And, with only one substitute - veteran Chris Davies - the situation got worse when prop Danny Savage had to leave the field after 15 minutes with damaged ankle ligaments.

Broughton registered 21 unanswered points in the first half and Oldham failed to respond sufficiently after the break.

Their set pieces and rolling mauls worried Broughton all afternoon, and it was from such a maul that Oldham finally got on the scoreboard, Jason Green claiming the first of his two tries.

However, Broughton pulled clear again before Mike Collinge raced away to score for Oldham, Green adding the conversion.

There was still time for Broughton to add their seventh try of the day to compound the misery, despite the best efforts of Jake Watson, Owen Davies and Stuart Brennan.


OLDHAM Extra A won 34-13 at a depleted Ashton-under-Lyne.
At one stage Oldham had to lend the opposition three players due to injuries, but it was Ashton who opened the scoring, cashing in on a mistake to grab the first try.

Oldham soon hit back with a converted try from Gaz Phelan and, in a game played in good spirit, added a second through Andy Newton before Ashton slotted over a penalty to make it 12-8 at the interval.

The second half saw Oldham step up a gear to add four more tries and a conversion as the forwards and backs combined well to create a host of chances.


THE Veterans match against Heaton Moor 3rds was postponed as the opposition could not raise a team.