Oldham sink table-topping Heaton Moor

Oldham's Alex Jobson looks to break away

Oldham RUFC had to dig in to secure a hard-earned 11-7 victory at home against table-topping Heaton Moor.

Both sides were keen to return to some match action after five weeks without a fixture.

The first 25 minutes was a period of almost continuous Oldham pressure, with Heaton Moor only making sporadic and brief visits to the Oldham half.

However, excellent defence and a lack of composure near the line after fine approach work saw scant reward for the pressure, and a single penalty goal by Alex Jobson was all Oldham had to show for their exertions.

The first try came in the 60th minute when Stuart Brennan, after a series of scrums in 'cemetery corner', broke and, despite being held up in a two-man tackle, managed to slip the ball to fellow back-rower Ryan Pickles who forced his way through a cluster of desperate defenders to score in the corner.

That made it 8-0, and another Jobson penalty success saw Oldham 11 points to the good.

Heaton Moor immediately upped their tempo, dominated possession and the final 15 minutes, as Oldham were visibly tiring, giving away countless penalties and lost a man to the bin.

Good hands and a fine angle of running saw the visitors cross by the posts and reduce the deficit to four, but Oldham hung on to secure an impressive victory.

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