Oldham welcomed local rivals Dukinfield to Manor Park for the opening league fixture in the delayed start to the 2026/27 season. Oldham started the match in determined fashion and took the initiative following good carries from the forward pack making good inroads into Dukinfield’s half and were rewarded with taking the lead through a Jordan McEwan penalty to take an early 3-0 lead. Oldham continued to have the better of the early exchanges with great carries from Sean Carter, Isaac Dobbs and Josh Semple with captain Tom Davies moving the team around well. Continued pressure led to the first try with a cross kick being put up in the air for Corey Kelly to challenge for the ball and following the contest he got to the ball first to touch down. With the try being unconverted Oldham led 8-0. The home team seemed to be in control and then following a clearance from Dukinfield Reece Blakeley made inroads with a piercing run which was then capitalised on by the Oldham forwards who carried from the ruck to make ground before Simon Renshaw to pick up and crash over the line to increase the home teams’ advantage to 13-0 after an impressive first 25 minutes.
Dukinfield then fought their way back into the contest following a long kick into the Oldham in goal area after some concerted pressure and Oldham invited pressure by failing to simply clear their lines coughing up possession following a forward pass in their own in goal area. From the resulting scrum Dukinfield scored a converted try to climb back into the contest at 13-7. This gave the away side a big lift and they continued to gain the upper hand with territory and possession. Poor discipline from Oldham gave the away side an easy penalty chance which they took to cut the deficit to 13-10. This is how the score remained going into half time.
The second half began how the first half ended with Dukinfield in the ascendency and they were quick to take advantage with Oldham struggling to gain a hold of the game being guilty of mistakes turning possession over when calmness was required. A unconverted Dukinfield try gave the away side the lead at 15-13 and the more and more Dukinfield enjoyed the majority of possession the more their confidence to play grew. A rare trip into the Dukinfield half gave Oldham some respite from defending and a well-earned penalty kick by Jordan McEwan gave Oldham the lead back at 16-15.
With the game in the balance going into the final quarter of the match Oldham needed control and game management but it was the away side who showed both as they continuously took the game to the home side and answered again with a converted try to take the lead back. Oldham needed to answer back and managed to gain some momentum in the Dukinfield half. And following some decent ball movement in the back line Jenson Connell touched down and with the conversion made the game was in the balance at 23-22 to Oldham.
With the last ten minutes now crucial Oldham for some reason put pressure on them selves giving three penalties away on the bounce allowing Dukinfield easy territorial advantage to be camped in the Oldham quarter and took advantage with scoring not once but twice in quick succession to take the match away from the home side with one of the scores converted, the final result being Oldham 23 Dukinfield 34.
Oldham paid the price for poor game management and what was evident late in the game was that fatigue and match fitness took its toll. Credit to Dukinfield who played for the full 80 minutes and took their opportunities when they were presented to them.
Oldham’s man of the match went to Josh Semple who’s relentless effort in both attack and defence was superb.
Report and photos credit Tim Abram
