A much-changed Oldham side lost 18-10 against a very workmanlike Midlands Hurricanes outfit in Roughyeds’ last game at the Vestacare Stadium today, finishing fourth in Betfred League One behind champions Dewsbury, who go up automatically, Hunslet and Doncaster in that order.
Had Mike Ford’s men won and had Doncaster lost at home to Dewsbury, Roughyeds would have finished third.
In the event Doncaster won 36-26 and Oldham were never once in front against Hurricanes, so Roughyeds go to Doncaster next Sunday in the first week of the play-off with another chance should they lose again.
Today’s results in League One on the final day of the regular season: Cornwall 18, Rochdale Hornets 12; Doncaster 36, Dewsbury Rams 26; North Wales Crusaders 62, London Skolars 20; OLDHAM 10, MIDLANDS HURRICANES 18; Workington 18, Hunslet 6.
Said Oldham boss Mike Ford:
“The positive thing is that we got through without any more injuries. It was our third game in eight days and the Rochdale game last Sunday took a lot out of us. The other positive is that several players will be back next week, including Gregg McNally, George Hirst and Emmerson Whittel. The very fact that we were at Boundary Park on Wednesday was a big lift for the lads on that occasion, but it did’nt happen today.”
Bearing in mind that the last-gasp derby win at the Crown Oil Arena and the win over Workington (with all its weight of expectation, emotion and razzmatazz), all within three days, had taken a lot out of the side, Ford made numerous changes and, apart from positional changes, the starting line-up against Hurricanes lacked McNally, Martyn Ridyard, Luke Nelmes, Matty Wilkinson , Josh Johnson, George Hirst and Emmerson Whiitel.
Team: Rawsthorne; Hartley, Carr, Morgan, Ah Van; Paga, Tyrer; Newton, Slater, Blagbrough, Cameron, Baker, Moran. Subs: Wilkinson, Johnson, Nelmes, Ridyard. 18th man, Bardsley.
Match report and more reaction to follow.
