Photos courtesy of ashtonsnapper
Mayfield, the pride of Rochdale, retained the Oldham Amateur League’s prestigious Standard Cup with a 44-24 win against Waterhead Warriors at Boundary Park.
In a repeat of last year’s final at Manor Park, home of Oldham RU Club, the NCL premier division side from Rochdale had too much speed, strength and skill for Waterhead, who are one division behind Mayfield in the NCL, writes ROGER HALSTEAD.
The League decision to take the final to the home of Oldham Athletic was more than justified with an official attendance of 1847, a near-full Joe Royle stand and this comment from Athletic official Darren Royle. son of the legendary Joe Royle, a former Latics manager.
Said Darren:
“The place is buzzing. We are delighted to have the Standard Cup Final back here for the first time in years.”
Former Oldham St Anne’s chairman Neil Flanagan added:
“It’s great to be back here. The Final will get more and more people here to watch as the years go on. Eventually, as the years go on, the crowds will get even bigger and it will be just like the old days again.”
Paul Green, his successor as chairman at St Anne’s, added:
“This is where the final should be. It’s a great facility and fitting for such a big event.”
In the 120th Anniversary of the first final, Waterhead trailed only 18-12 at half-time, but Mayfield got well on top later with stand-out performances from Aussie half-backs Sam Wright and Devlin Long.
Stand-off Wright scored a second-half hat-trick, but Long at no. 7 won the Ben Powell Trophy as man of the match for his clever and accomplished show as the best play-maker on the park.
Long (27), from the Brisbane area, won it last year as well and thus became only the second player in the long history of the competition to win the trophy in successive years behind Waterhead’s Roy Jewitt, who won it in 1992 and 1993.
