St Anne’s in gutsy show

Photo: PICTURE by CHRIS SUNDERLAND

Michael Wallace of St Anne’s is grabbed by Pat Webster as he tries to break through the Oulton Raiders line.

RUGBY LEAGUE:

MICK Cashin’s last home game in charge of Oldham St Anne’s ended in defeat . . . but as losses go, it was far from inglorious.

Saints were defeated 32-27 by Oulton Raiders at Higginshaw Road, with the visitors sealing the National Conference League Division One title in the process.

But mid-table St Anne’s — for whom Jordan White was outstanding — gave the West Yorkshire side a real fright.

“The lads played very well and we kept at them right until the end,” said Cashin, who is stepping down from first-team affairs after the final two away games of the campaign, ending a run of four seasons in charge.

“We were on their line just a couple of inches short at the end and the performance shows what we are capable of.

“They didn’t break on us very often, but when they did they made it count and showed that they are a very good side.”

Stuart Biscomb opened the scoring for Oulton early on, Sasch Brook goaling, and Scott McDonald’s long-range interception made it 10-0.

Midway through the half, White shot in under the posts and added a conversion, but Raiders hit back with a Tommy Griffiths try and Brook goal.

A clever one-on-one ball steal from White saw him race away for a second try and the same player added a drop goal for a half-time score of 16-11 in the visitors' favour.

Chris Walker increased Raiders’ advantage, Brook converting, before Danny Chrimes benefited from good work by Eric Johnson to touch down with White kicking the extras.

Nathan Batty and Biscomb produced tries — Brook goaling one of them — for Oulton, to seemingly take the game away from the home team.

But wing pair Jonathan Kelly and Terry Whalley both went over and White’s sole goal again reduced the gap to five.

Attention now turns to Saints’ final two fixtures of the season.

“This is my last season and we are hoping to round things off with two wins,” said Cashin, who was without Kiel Lancashire, David Harris, Dominic Igoe, Anthony Platt and Dane English against Oulton.

“We have really targeted Normanton this week, but also feel that, the way we are playing, we can win at Myton too.”