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by ROGER HALSTEAD THE Roughyeds new reserve team went down 48-6 to a strong Leigh side at Hilton Park in their first league match of the season, but the score did not reflect the contribution Oldham made to the game. Leigh, traditionally strong at this level, played veteran Welsh prop Gareth Price after a spell out due to suspension and in centre Adam Thomas and scrum-half Ryan Powell they had two young backs who had played first-team rugby this year. Unlike when they won at Featherstone in a friendly and had Simeon Hoyle making his comeback after injury, Oldham had no first-team assistance this time. However, they produced a promising performance for more than an hour, and trailed only 10-6 until the last play of the first half when Leigh went over in the corner for their third try to make it 14-6 at the interval. The home side scored six tries in the second half, but four of those were in the last ten minutes when the young Roughyeds were out on their feet. Watched by head coach Steve Deakin, Oldham played with loads of spirit and enthusiasm. They tackled tenaciously at close quarters and at one-on-one, but they didn't quite possess Leigh's speed of running and handling and were consequently outflanked regularly, particularly so in the final few minutes. Having said that, they created several chances of their own and with a little more speed through hands they would surely have scored two or three more tries of their own. Full-back Anthony H Bingham scored Oldham's solitary try on the right after centre Ashley Wildman had split the home defence apart with a smashing break down the left. Bingham, who had an extremely impressive game, looked to have scored a second after half-time but, after consulting his touchjudge, the referee ruled that the Oldham man had been held up over the line. Bingham also did well in defence, while catching the eye numerous times with his clever return of the ball out of his own 20. In short, he looked a very good prospect indeed. Others to go well included stand-off Ethan Langhorn and forwards Alex Eyres, Chris Clarke, Phil Jagger and Martin Sarsfield, a substitute. Bingham's try was converted by Mark Smith. The gap between the sides was in little evidence in the first half hour, but it began to expand following a flare-up in which players of both sides traded punches. Play resumed with a penalty to Oldham, but not before rival centres Wildman (Oldham) and Thomas (Leigh) were sin-binned and Leigh's No 16 Adam Higson was sent off for running in and getting involved. Though a man down for all the second half, Leigh had enough experience, speed and nous to get well on top, but Oldham will take heart from a spirited performance which augurs well for the rest of the season, given that this is a brand new side still with plenty of learning to do. All the signs are that coaches John Hough and Leo Casey are doing a fine job in moulding this team together. Team: Bingham; Hayes, Fisher, Wildman, Nelson; Langhorn, Lowe;Eyres, Mansfield, Clarke, Schofield, Jagger, Smith. Subs: Toft, Jeffery, Sarsfield. |
