Title dreams nearer to fruition

Adam Waterhouse crossed the try line for Oldham.

Oldham 1st 50, Birchfield 1st 5

RUGBY UNION: OLDHAM moved a step nearer to North Lancashire Division One title glory with a comfortable victory over motivated but outclassed opposition.

Jack Sayle returned to the team at prop after Tom Hannon pulled out with a shoulder injury, while Adam Waterhouse retained his place and Charlie Roscoe came back after injury.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Gareth Barber produced a great kick for the pacy Ryan North to score a try converted by Callum Megram.

Straight from the re-start, Stuart Brennan made a break, bursting though several tackles and passing to Ryan North, who popped the ball out to Adam Waterhouse to dive over. Megram made it 14-0.

After the interval, Oldham set about making more use of their greater possession.

The spirit in the Oldham camp is fantastic and this was epitomised with the final score of the game.

Oldham had a penalty deep inside their own 22 and, as the referee called last play, the game would have been over as soon as the ball was dead.

Instead of taking the easy option, they elected to run the ball, John Souter making a brilliant break and Watson ending a fine move with his second and Oldham’s eighth try of the afternoon.

In what was probably Oldham’s best display of the season, the man-of-the-match award went to Stuart Brennan