OLDHAM 44 BARROW RAIDERS 30
IAN WILSON, Boundary Park, Sunday
THIS was the first of five crucial games for Oldham if they are to mark their first season back in the Championship with a home play-off contest, and they duly gained these two points – though not without a fight against an always-competitive Barrow side.
The Raiders, meanwhile, in coach Paul Crarey’s 350th game in charge, a record for the club, really needed a win themselves to stay in the play-off hunt. It was not to be – but how they scrapped!
It was during the period either side of half-time that the Roughyeds showed their real class, with their powerful pack making good yards every set, and their slick and slippery backs taking full advantage. Thus 12-12 after 20 minutes became 36-12 on the hour, and then 44-30 as the final whistle brought an end to what was a breathless finale. A crowd touching 2,000 could certainly have no complaints about the entertainment on show.
Oldham’s Kieran Dixon almost scored very early to begin the try-fest, but after he was held just short, the Raiders went down the other end, and a one-on-one ball-strip by Ryan King, and a clever grubber after Joe Bullock had been held just short, led to a sixth minute touchdown by Ellis Robson. Brad Walker’s first successful conversion of five gave Barrow a 6-0 lead. This was not to last long, however, with Dixon this time going over after being put in the clear 75 metres out.
Almost immediately, Ryan Brierley, of course one of two refugees this week from sad Salford, demonstrated his superb support play when he took a Josh Drinkwater pass after a Phoenix Laulu-Togagae break, and touched down under the posts.
Not to be outdone, though, just five minutes later Barrow pulled level, with soft Oldham defence allowing impressive fullback Luke Cresswell to put Ryan Johnston over.
It was at this point that the Roughyeds began to assert their dominance, with Owen Farnworth, Jay Chapelhow and Ryan Lannon in particular starting to make hay.
The beneficiaries were first Mathieu Pons and Ben O’Keefe, who both touched down near the right corner after the ball was shipped very efficiently first to the left and then back again; and next, after half-time, Lewis Baxter, who crashed over from close range off an Éloi Pélissier pass, and then Dixon for his second long-range score – though he will have been happy to thank Ben Davies for the superb break and pass that gave him the space.
One of two second-half Dixon penalties, together with all but one of the tries being converted, made it 36-12 by the 58th minute, and game in effect over.
Not the scoring, however!
The Raiders seemed to throw caution to the wind, and began to give the ball huge amounts of air, including from inside their defensive zone. Admittedly Oldham first had a couple of tries disallowed, but in the 68th minute, a Jarrad Stack interception was turned a couple of tackles later into a try under the posts by Joe Bullock, then two long breaks down the Barrow left allowed a second try to Johnston, and a much-deserved one by impressive winger Luke Broadbent.
Fortunately for the home crowd, that just left time for the largest cheer of the afternoon, when Oldham’s other signing this week from Salford, Jack Ormondroyd, crowned two cracking stints on the field as a prop by charging 30 metres, beating three tackles in the process, to score to the right of the posts.
GAMESTAR: Kieran Dixon kicked eight goals and scored two long-range classic wingman’s tries for a 24-point haul in total.
GAMEBREAKER: Kieran Dixon’s second try on 58 minutes put the score at 36-12 and victory was out of reach for Barrow.
MATCHFACTS
OLDHAM
31 Phoenix Laulu-Togagae
39 Mathieu Pons
24 Ben O’Keefe
38 Ben Davies
2 Kieran Dixon
1 Ryan Brierley
23 Josh Drinkwater
8 Gil Dudson
35 Tom Forber
12 Jack Ormondroyd
37 Ryan Lannon
17 Elijah Taylor
13 Adam Milner
Subs (all used)
10 Owen Farnworth
40 Éloi Pélissier
21 Lewis Baxter
15 Jay Chapelhow
Tries: Dixon (9, 58), Brierley (12), Pons (25), O’Keefe (39), Baxter (45), Ormondroyd (80)
Goals: Dixon 8/9
RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
2 Andrew Bulman
5 Shane Toal
3 Matty Costello
4 Luke Broadbent
6 Brad Walker
7 Ryan Johnston
23 Joe Bullock
14 Aaron Smith
21 Finn McMillan
11 Ellis Robson
24 Jarrad Stack
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
16 Charlie Emslie
19 Delaine Bedward
20 Brett Carter
25 Aiden Doolan
Tries: Robson (6), Johnston (17, 70), Bullock (68), Broadbent (78)
Goals: Walker 5/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 12-6, 12-12, 16-12, 22-12; 28-12, 30-12, 36-12, 36-18, 36-24, 38-24, 38-30, 44-30
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Oldham: Kieran Dixon; Raiders: Luke Broadbent
Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 22-12
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 1,998