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Break meant lost fluidity - Deakin

Gavin Browne
15/ 9/2008

OLDHAM coach Steve Deakin believed his side's three-week lay-off worked for and against his team after watching them beaten at home for the first time in 13 months.

Doncaster's 32-20 win ended the Roughyeds' 19-game winning streak at Boundary Park, sending them into the Grand Final in the process. That left Oldham contemplating a sixth meeting of the season with Rochdale Hornets when the duo meet at Boundary Park on Sunday for the right to play Doncaster for promotion into National League One.

Deakin said: "We had a break for people to recover but we lost that fluidity. When we got some good rhythm we got some good football.

"I thought it was a good football game, a good play-off game. Hats off to Doncaster, they played good football, smart football and just about deserved it on the day.”

However, Deakin refused to elaborate on the reasoning for Mick Nanyn's non-appearance in Sunday's 17-man squad. This season's leading pointscorer, who had announced his departure to Super League side Harlequins the week before the game, was left on the sidelines with Danny Halliwell and Marcus St Hilaire preferred in the centre.

Nanyn had missed the end-of-season with a broken thumb, only for the cast to be removed 10 days before the match, but Deakin was in no mood for explanations.

He said: "There was no Mick Nanyn but there was no Chris Baines or Luke Sutton either, I just don't see that as an issue.

"He's had five weeks out with a broken thumb but I'm refusing to comment on it, I don't want journalists to make it a side issue.

"Just because he's going to London doesn't make it an issue, I pick the 17 for the game and that's it."