ROUGHYEDS scored eight tries and the magnificently consistent Martyn ‘The Boot’ Ridyard converted all eight in a 48-22 win against Cornwall at the Vestacare Stadium.
Landing two off the left-hand touchline and one off the right-hand line — to say nothing of the ’easier’ five attempts on goal — Ridyard again underlined his status as one of the most reliable marksmen in rugby league.
Tries were scored by Kian Morgan, Luke Nelmes, Logan Astley (2), Owen Restall (2), Dave Hewitt and Tom Forber, after each of which Ridyard worked his magic.
Fans later chose him as their man of the match with 50 per cent of the overall vote. Hooker Forber, aged 18 and on loan from Wigan, was second in the poll with 37.5 per cent, followed by James Thornton (9.4%) and Tom Spencer (3.1%).
Forber carried off the Magic Moment Award by scoring his first try for the club from dummy half.
Overall, it was a thoroughly professional performance by Roughyeds despite a 15-minute lapse in the second half when Harry Aaronson scored two tries for Cornwall against his former club, Anthony Mullally got another, the home defence looked decidedly dodgy and Roughyeds gave away five consecutive penalties.
Head coach Stu Littler said:
“We were the first team to make a mistake and that’s credit to Cornwall, who certainly did enough to make us know we had been in a game.
“We are a comparatively young side, but we will keep working hard and everyone is buying into our efforts to get where we want to be.
“Next up, we face a big challenge at Doncaster, as we strive to climb the table, but everyone is working hard to get there.”
Both Littler and Ridyard were at pains to point out that Cornwall’s first win wouldn’t be far away and that their enthusiasm alone had much to do with the serious challenge they offered, especially in the second half.
Nevertheless, Oldham’s eight-try triumph enabled them to leapfrog Midlands Hurricanes into sixth place in Betfred League One and back into the play-offs zone.
Roughyeds started off in scintillating form and stormed into a 24-0 lead after little more than half an hour with tries by Morgan, Nelmes, the first of Astley’s brace and another by Restall.
They then suffered an injury blow which caused winger Liam Copland to leave the field. Up to that point, he had enjoyed a fine performance on the right edge and his withdrawal caused a switch-around which saw Restall move to the right wing, Hewitt leave the bench to go in at half-back and Astley, one of our four on-loan teenagers, to move from half-back to full-back.
With Mullally at loose-forward, three dual-reg players from Bradford Bulls in the backs and two on-loan youngsters from Wigan (like us) in Adam Jones at stand-off and Toby Brannan at prop, the new kids on the Rugby League street were no mugs.
They clearly knew what they were doing and never once did their heads drop, as shown when, at 24-0 down and half-time approaching, full-back Liam Whitton came into the attacking line and ghosted through the home defence to open their scoring.
There was still time, however, for Ridyard to float a huge, cur-out pass to the right where Restall crossed unopposed and Ridyard goaled beautifully for a 30-6 interval lead.
The lead was stretched to 36-6 early in the second half when Emmerson Whittel and young Astley set up a cracking try for Hewitt up the middle.
Roughyeds were attacking again when Aaronson plucked a wide Astley pass out of the air, at the second attempt, and used his undoubted pace to go almost the length of the field for the first of his two tries.
It started the one and only spell in the game when Cornwall were clearly in the ascendancy, but not before James Thornton’s powerful break put the visitors on the back foot and the ever-alert Forber scored near the posts from dummy half.
Ridyard’s goal gave Littler’s men a 42-10 lead, but there then followed 12 unanswered points for Cornwall before the stylish-looking Astley wrapped it all up with a surge of speed which took him past several defenders for Oldham’s eighth try and a second consecutive home win at a canter.
Scorers:
OLDHAM - goals Ridyard 8/8; tries, Morgan, Nelmes, Astley (2), Restall (2), Hewitt, Forber;
CORNWALL - goals, Johns 1/2, Purcell 2/2; tries, Whitton, Aaronson (2), Mullally.
OLDHAM: Restall; Copland, Carr, Morgan, Cooke; Ridyard, Astley; Nelmes., Forber, Spencer, Windrow, Ferry, Whittel. Subs: Jinks, Andrade, Thornton, Hewitt.
CORNWALL: Whitton; Myers, Aurundel, Aaronson, Nichol; Jones, Purcell; Brannan, Kay, Ray, Hartsthorne, Thomson, Mullally. Subs: Gilder, Bolger, Johns, Prisk.
Ref: Brad Milligan; Pens, 6/7; Att: 621; HT: 30-6.
