Browse Sections

• Oldham Athletic FC
• Oldham Roughyeds'
• Local football
• Local cricket

Castleford 32 Oldham 20

Gareth Owen
27/ 7/2005

National League One

OLDHAM could hold their heads high in defeat as they competed magnificently with a Castleford side looking to bounce straight back into Super League.

The Roughyeds matched their table-topping opponents for effort, commitment and - for the most part - skill but their inability to find favour with French referee Thierry Alibert proved decisive with Oldham penalised 16 times to Castleford's four.

Essentially a triumph for teamwork, the Roughyeds were greatly indebted to Gareth Barber, Chris Hough, Ricky Bibey, Tere Glassie and Ian Hodson who all had outstanding games.

Weathering an early assault on their line, it was the Roughyeds who went to the other end and opened the scoring on three minutes when Glassie drove up the middle and Gavin Dodd continued the move, the ball being moved to the left where Nick Johnson scampered over.

Clearly stung by the early setback, the hosts immediately launched a fightback and aided by a string of penalties, dominated possession for 20 minutes during which Oldham only touched the ball twice.

Spurning kickable penalties, Cas' pressure paid off when quick hands in front of the posts sent Craig Huby over for a try he subsequently converted.

He repeated the feat on 16 minutes with an identical try as home skipper Andy Henderson again declined a penalty in front of the posts.

Oldham hit back on the half-hour though when Barber collected a fortunate ricochet close to the line to plunge over for a try goaled by Marty Turner.

Cas soon increased their lead when Steve Crouch sent Andy Kain over by the posts for Huby to convert but, just on half-time, Jon Goddard chased his own kick to touch down. Turner converted to make it 18-16 at half-time.

But disaster struck at the start of the second half as Kain opened up a gap for Deon Bird to fly over on 41 minutes, the try converted by Richard Fletcher.

Oldham were not to be panicked though as Johnson squeezed over for his second try to pull the score back to 24-20.

However, Brad Davis broke Oldham hearts with a looping pass for Waine Pryce to score before the winger went over for his second try on 62 minutes to kill off the valiant Roughyeds.

Castleford: Platt, Pryce, Bird, Eagar, Shenton, A Kain, Davis, Watere, Henderson, Bailey, Huby, James, Crouch. Subs (all used): Haughey, S Kain, Maloney, Fletcher.

Oldham: Dodd, Munro, Wilkinson, Goddard, Johnson, Turner, C Hough, Bibey, Kirkland, Glassie, Hodson, Roberts, Svabic. Subs (all used): Barber, Wilson, Norman, J Hough.

Attendance: 4,600.