A HAT-TRICK from winger Pat Ah Van, who surpassed 150 career tries, helped Roughyeds to their third home victory in a row after they defeated a spirited Cornwall 36-16.
It was a stop-start game in which there were three sin-binnings, as referee Kevin Moore battled to control players on both sides.
Roughyeds had to withstand a second-half fight-back from the Penryn-based side who have been steadily growing since their inaugural season in 2022.
Oldham were without the ever-dependable Martyn Ridyard due to injury, and matters got worse in-game when his replacement, Kieran Tyrer, was forced off with a head knock – but they adapted well.
Top try scorer Jordan Paga proved a handful, again, but it was his defensive efforts that were on show this time, as he denied several Cornwall advances.
George Hirst, who was named in the starting 13 for the first time, proved a handful and was rewarded with a try – the first of his professional career – for his hard work.
In the opening stages, Oldham piled on the pressure and, after ten minutes, the Cornwall defence buckled.
Direct from the scrum, Gregg McNally set Ah Van away to score his 150th career try.
Cornwall couldn’t get a hold on the former NRL and Widnes man and he dived over, again, in the corner, which Tyrer converted.
Then he nearly had another, but Oldham’s quick passing was too fast for Kian Morgan who knocked on, as he tried to set Ah Van off down the line.
Both sides were then down to 12 men when Tom Ashton and Deane Meadows were sin-binned, after some pushing and shoving, as Oldham searched for another.
Harvey Wilson was next on the scoresheet and scored under the posts to make it easy for makeshift kicker Sean Slater, who added the extras.
Then, Matty Wilkinson and Jordan Paga exposed gaps and set McNally off to score a try unopposed.
Four minutes into the second half, Ah Van got his hat-trick, as he scored another in the corner.
Then George Hirst got in on the act as his sheer strength allowed him to break through the Cornwall defence to make it 28-0.
Before Gregg McNally got his second, there was another sin-binning – Jack Ray was the offender when he wiped out Jordan Paga off the ball.
At 36-0 and with nothing to lose, Cornwall tried their luck with a short kick off.
Charley Bodman was first to respond and his breakthrough put them just metres out from the Oldham try-line.
That then paved the way for former Roughyeds man Harry Aaronson to score a try, which Adam Rusling couldn’t convert.
To reduce the deficit further, Aussie stand-off Cameron Brown scored when he was first to pounce on a Rusling kick.
Cornwall were buoyed and Brown, from dummy-half, got another when he broke free from the Roughyeds defenders.
They went close again, but Oldham stood firm and held on for the two points which propelled them back into third place in League One.
Scorers:
Oldham: goals, Tyrer 1/2, Slater 1/3, Ah Van 2/2; tries, Ah Van x3, Wilson, McNally x2, Hirst
Cornwall: goals, Rusling 2/3 ; tries, Aaronson, Brown x2
Teams:
OLDHAM: McNally; Hartley, Morgan, Carr, Ah Van; Tyrer, Paga; Meadows, Wilkinson, Nelmes, Hirst, Baker, Whittel. Subs: Slater, Morgan, Wilson, Makin (all used). 18th Man: Newton.
CORNWALL: Whitton; Carter, Nichol, Ashton, Aaronson; Brown, Rusling; Ray, Collins, Badham, Cullen, Dimich, Lloyd. Subs: Terise, Boots, Bodman, Tennison (all used).
Referee: Kevin Moore; HT: 20-0; Pens: 2-4, Att: 437
