OLDHAM 36 HALIFAX PANTHERS 18
KASEY SMITH, Boundary Park, Sunday

OLDHAM’s winning streak continued in emphatic fashion as they swept aside Halifax to claim a 14th consecutive league victory.

Back at Boundary Park for the first time in seven weeks, Alan Kilshaw’s side put on a show in their first proper home game since a consortium led by Terry Flanagan took over the club.

The Roughyeds are enjoying a level of form not seen since the 1981/82 season, when head coach Frank Myler and a certain aforementioned Flanagan, as captain, guided them to promotion to Division One on the back of an extraordinary 22-match winning streak.

Oldham did most of the damage in the first half, proving too strong for a Halifax side that has struggled to build any consistency this year. Oldham, by contrast, continue to go from strength to strength.

Halifax made a determined start, forcing Oldham into two goal-line drop-outs during the opening exchanges, but it was the Roughyeds who struck first when Adam Milner spotted a gap in the Panthers’ defensive line and powered through to open the scoring.

But the Panthers responded almost immediately. A superb cut-out pass from full-ack Lloyd Roby sent Ben Will over in the corner with little more to do than stroll across the line.

Despite Halifax’s encouraging early signs, Oldham looked a class above, proving too quick and too clinical when it mattered most. 

Jake Bibby came close to restoring the Roughyeds’ lead as he powered towards the line, only to be hauled down just short.

But Oldham were not to be denied and after moving the ball swiftly through the hands, Ben Davies found a gap in the defence to cross for their second try.

A slick passage of play between Josh Drinkwater and Milner ended with the latter producing a clever offload to the onrushing Ted Chapelhow, whose power and momentum made him impossible to stop as Oldham extended their advantage.

The next score was as simple as they come. Camped on the Panthers’ line, Wildie picked out Matty Ashurst on his inside, and the backrower had the easiest of finishes as he strolled over. It was almost a carbon copy of the try Milner scored against Batley the previous week.

Oldham continued to dominate, with Tom Nisbet, Brad Day and Owen Farnworth all being denied in quick succession, despite strong protests from the home side.

Halifax hit back through Will, who capitalised after Nisbet flew out of the line, leaving a gap for him to stroll through and claim his second try of the afternoon.

The fired-up Roughyeds responded soon afterwards, with Day crashing over beneath the posts. Smith then added a penalty shortly before the break to cap a dominant first-half display.

Halifax restored some pride after the break, with a slick move ending in Will acrobatically diving over in the corner to complete his hat-trick.

Davies added a second before Adam Tangata pulled one back for the Panthers, but Oldham safely navigated the closing stages to keep their remarkable streak going.

GAMESTAR: Brad Day was a menace with some big carries and arguably could have had more than the one try he scored.

GAMEBREAKER: Matty Ashurst’s try, where he just walked it in, was probably a sign Halifax would struggle to salvage anything from the game.

MATCHFACTS

OLDHAM
1 Jack Walker
21 Tom Nisbet
4 Ben Davies
5 Jake Bibby
29 Luke Forber
6 Morgan Smith
23 Josh Drinkwater
22 Tom McKinney
9 Matty Wildie
15 Ted Chapelhow
11 Matty Ashurst
– Brad Day
13 Adam Milner
Subs (all used)
7 Daniel Regan
10 Owen Farnworth
12 Ryan Lannon
16 Ewan Moore

Tries: Milner (3), Davies (10, 61), Chapelhow (21), Ashurst (26), Day (35)
Goals: Smith 6/7

PANTHERS
5 Lloyd Roby
3 Ben Will
22 Darius Carter
11 Ben Crooks
2 Ben Tibbs
6 Jesse Soric
9 Adam O’Brien
25 Adam Tangata
7 Curtis Davies
23 Leon Cowen
10 Jonny Vaughan
18 Ewan Smith
24 Delaine Gittens-Bedward
Subs (all used)
1 Will Brough
8 Will Calcott
15 Connor Davies
19 Zack McComb

Tries: Will (7, 33, 57), Tangata (72)
Goals: Carter 1/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 18-6, 22-6, 22-10, 28-10, 30-10; 30-14, 36-14, 36-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Oldham: Brad Day; Panthers: Ben Will

Penalty count: 4-7
Half-time: 30-10
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas