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by ROGER HALSTEAD A bitterly disappointed Steve Deakin, having seen his side beaten in NL2 at Keighley for the second time in two seasons, blamed his side's lack of enthusiasm for a good kick-chase as the main reason for Oldham's 26-12 defeat at Cougar Park. He didn't blame the heavy pitch, or the referee, or the blatant forward pass that led to Keighley's second try --- he put the blame fairly and squarely on his own team's ineptitude and lack of enthusiasm for dealing with the Cougars' kick-returns. Deaks, who took the unusual step of switching Mick Nanyn into the forwards midway through the second half and putting Danny Halliwell out to left centre, had this to say after the match: "In conditions like we had to contend with today, the kicking game was always going to be important. And I have to say the big difference between the teams was Keighley's enthusiasm for their kick-chase and their ability to react positively to their kicking game. "We didn't chase hard and cover across the pitch on our kicks and that opened up the field for their long-range tries. "We started to panic when they went 18-12 up early in the second half, and we lost a lot of composure, as seen when Jason Boults got penalised and sin-binned for a late challenge. There were other instances, too, but that was typical. It was the result of nothing but frustration, but the referee was right to take the action he did, and we got what we deserved. "A blatant forward pass led to their second try just before half-time, but that's life. These things happen. Of more concern to me was how their winger was allowed to do the damage he did on a kick return and our own inability to make that kick count in our favour. "We didn't deal with these circumstances as well as we should have done. There was almost a repeat when they scored their third try just after half time, but this time it involved the other Keighley winger. The aspect of our game that massively disappointed me was our kicking game and what we did with it on the chase. The crucial tries we conceded just before and after half time came from big plays by them on kick returns and that wasn't good enough. "Keighley were the better side and deserved their win -- no complaints at all there -- and it would be fair to say that both sides got out of this game what they deserved. "We need to be mentally tougher in order to cope with things like bad calls, bad weather and bad pitches. Also, I need to shake a bit of lethargy out of certain people. "Having said all that, I thought we were worth a bonus point. That we didn't even get that was a big disappointment and a very important loss because it now means we have to make it up smewhere else along the line." Asked about the switch of Nanyn and Halliwell, he said: "It was designed to try and get Mick a little bit more involved and also to give Danny a breather." After the game Robert Roberts revealed that he might be ready to play again in the next round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup against Swnton at Sedgley Park next Sunday. He said the consultant who had been dealing with his hand injury had now discharged him. Added 'Two Bobs': "It's six or seven weeks now since I first injured the hand and the specialist has told me that, thoughout that time, the damaged bone has been healing naturally. It has also speeded things up by having my hand in plaster for the last couple of weeks. "He said it would be advisable to give it a bit longer and to sit out the Keighley game, but he felt I would be okay to play the week after at Swinton." |
