HAVING lost the position just outside the Betfred League One play-offs thanks to the big London Skolars win against West Wales Raiders on Saturday, we regained it with a 41-36 victory at Midlands Hurricanes where we also cut Hunslet’s lead on us to six points, each with four to play.
We are now the only team outside the top six that still has a mathematical chance, however unlikely that may be, of squeezing into the last play-off spot and the odds against that happening are reduced considerably when you look at the remaining matches of the two clubs concerned.
Hunslet have still to play Keighley Cougars away, Swinton Lions away, Doncaster at home and then Oldham at the Vestacare Stadium on the last day of the regular season.
Roughyeds have London Skolars at home next Sunday, August 14, then Cornwall away, Swinton Lions away and then Hunslet at home which might, just might, come down to a game that has play-off qualification riding on it.
There’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge before then, of course, and in the meantime Roughyeds will no doubt be looking again at how they came to finish only five points ahead after fully deserving to be 39-0 ahead with 20 minutes left.
Up to that point, Roughyeds had played extraordinarily well in totally respecting possession, looking solid defensively, working hard for each other, conceding only one penalty, moving the ball wide with purpose and precision and looking in total control.
Coach Stu Littler made a couple of selection surprises by naming in-form Kian Morgan at full-back (Owen Restall went on the left wing) and on-loan Oliver Field at prop, but both selections worked a treat .
An accomplished all-round footballer, Morgan has looked the part in recent weeks at centre, stand-off and now full-back, while Restall took his chances on the wing, adding to his tally with two more.
Field at prop was a revelation. He carried strongly, made the hard yards, easily coped with the physical aspect of the job but still had that built-in nous of the inside back on when and how to part.
Dave Hewitt and Martyn Ridyard ran the show behind a strong, mobile pack while in the centre the consistent Joe did everything that was asked of him.
Hewitt put Restall over in the corner after five minutes and Ridyard goaled beautifully from wide out.
On the other side, right-centre Connor Carr scored two quick tries after slick handling by Hewitt and Ridyard, then Ridyard added a drop goal for a very pleasing 15-0 lead.
Oldham were arguably even more dominant after the break. Hurricanes, rattled, frustrated and harassed into error and self-doubt, were powerless to cope with the accurate and long-range touch-finding of the OIdham half-backs while lively sub hooker Sean Slater lrf them a merry dance from dummy half.
All in all, this was without doubt one of the best displays of the season so far.
Slater, Morgan, Restall and Hewitt added further tries, all improved by Ridyard and at 39-0 by midway through the second half there was an ever-increasing confidence among Roughyeds fans that we would see another ‘0’ om the Hurricanes side of the scorecard.
How wrong we were ! Tyler Hepple scored what everyone in the ground considered to be a consolation try, but then the whole nature of the game was turned on its head.
You could see earlier rare glimpses of a threat from home half-backs George Collins and Ben Stead and replacement hooker Elliott Windley, in particular, but the visiting forwards had always wrapped them up.
Not any more. Suddenly, and with no warning, Oldham were hit by a Hurricane and, for the first time, you could see how they came to win at Hunslet last week.
Their forwards were inspired into action by Stead and now it was Oldham’s turn to flounder. .
With big Nathan Newbound to the fore, they swept up the middle constantly. mounting attack after attack and suddenly looking stronger and more up for it, almost as though they could sense that Roughyeds were a spent force.
In 20 minutes that proved glorious for home fans and a nightmare for Roughyeds supporters, Hurricanes scored six converted tries, while the only reply was a Ridyard penalty goal.
In what by now was a rare sortie into enemy territory, we even got over the Hurricane goal line only to drop the ball when touching down unopposed.
Credit the Midlands men with the resolve to hit back, but let’s not forget who won, who scored seven tries to six and who totally dominated the game for all but the last quarter.
OLDHAM: Morgan; Copeland, Carr, Hartley, Restall; Ridyard, Hewitt; Field, Yarrow, Spencer, Ferry, Muranka, Whittel. Subs: Cameron, Coventry, Thornton, Slater.
HURRICANES: Lawton; Wallis, Wilkinson, L Welham, Freeman; Collins, Stead; Walton, Cullimore, Bull, Dawson, Clevering, Hepple. Subs: Windley, AJ Boardman, Newbound, Hepple.
Scorers: Hurricanes – goals, Stead 6/6; tries, Hepple (2), Wallis (2), Cowburn, Newbound; Oldham – drop goal, Ridyard; goals, Ridyard 6/8; tries: Restall (2), Carr (2), Slater, Morgan, Hewitt.
Ref, B Milligan; HT: 0-15; Pens: 1-6
