But the match ended with a free for all as tempers flared with both Swinton’s Ian Watson and Oldham’s Wayne Kerr red-carded after a brawl.

John Coleman’s late penalty gave Sheffield Eagles a narrow victory in Monday’s Northern Rail Cup tie at Sedgley Park.

One of the original four-man board when the new club formed in 1997, Mr Whitehead stayed with the club until 2008 before stepping down through a combination of business and family issues.

Speculation linking Roughyeds with a move to White Bank has been rife for weeks, and the rugby league club has now confirmed the football ground off Hollins Road is where it is hoping to realise its long-term hopes and ambitions.

With the March brothers to the fore and the Roughyeds consistently losing possession, the visitors had far too much tackling to do and this became apparent in the last quarter when Tommy Haughey trundled over for two tries, denying the visitors a bonus point.

Benson’s announcement of the squad numbers for 2010 has seen 10 youngsters – including Michael Ward, Ben Marsden, Jacob Kinney and Jack Graves – fail to make the cut but Benson has left room for more to be promoted.

From the off, Dewsbury official Jamie Leahy was in fastidious mood – handing out 33 penalties in total – and on the back of two, Dave Ellison opened the scoring for Oldham from close range. Matty Ashe converted.

With Leigh having put together an impressive squad on paper and Ian Millward back in charge, Oldham appeared to have it all to do with a largely untried squad.

While expressing his pride at how well Oldham had played, Benson was anxious to keep his feet planted on terra firma.

The company’s logo was worn by the Oldham players in a creditable 24-12 defeat at Leigh Centurions.

Although not entirely happy, Hornets had reluctantly agreed to play on Wednesday, March 3 because Oldham were not yet in a position to stage a game at their proposed new home in the borough. Late on Tuesday though, Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton received a text from the RFL to say the club's request had been turned down.

A pre-season blighted by the cold snap has seen the club’s players frustrated in their bid to train outside and become accustomed to their new team-mates.

The 25-year-old former Blackpool and Rochdale player, reared at Royton Tigers and Oldham St Anne’s, becomes the third experienced Oldhamer to join his home-town club in the past few days after Mick Fogerty and Mark Brocklehurst.

For that to happen the friendlies at Batley, Whitehaven and Rochdale would have to take place within an eight-day period and Tony Benson’s men would have to travel to Cumbria on a Wednesday night to fulfil their commitment to provide the opposition for Howard Hill’s testimonial.

He is local teenager Michael Ward, who formerly played for Oldham St Anne’s but who had also played rugby union sufficiently well to earn Lancashire county under-19 honours in that code.