OLDHAM 31 SHEFFIELD EAGLES 30
IAN WILSON, Boundary Park, Sunday

SIMPLY to chronicle how the scoring sequence went is to give a clear picture of how the tension built up in this game as the 80 minutes progressed.

It was a match that truly neither side deserved to lose, though the Eagles did – via a score seconds before the final hooter sounded!

After 15 minutes, Oldham were 16-0 ahead – but 25 minutes later, when the half-time hooter brought the first phase to an end, they were 16-20 down.

Then, in the third quarter, first Oldham, then the Eagles, then Oldham again, scored converted tries, leaving the score at 28-26. And so it remained until the 70th minute.

The referee then erred in his law-interpretation in giving Sheffield a penalty under the Oldham posts – 28-28. Next came, four minutes later, a ball-steal decision under the Eagles posts – 30-28 – followed four more minutes on by an offside call against the home side – 30-30.

And finally, with exactly 16 seconds to go, a man with ice in his veins, Oldham playmaker-in-chief Josh Drinkwater, nailed a 35-metre field-goal for 31-30. Wow!

After coming a serious cropper at Doncaster last week, one wondered how Oldham would approach this contest against the other South Yorkshire side, who, of course, also have genuine pretensions to play-off success this season.

The first few minutes left no doubt as to their intentions. With their two opening props Owen Farnworth and Jay Chapelhow utterly dominant, the Roughyeds simply chewed up yards set-by-set, and slick play by the backs generated three good tries as a result.

First, after play was spread from right to left, when it came back, Drinkwater was able to slip Chapelhow through a huge gap for a very popular try. Then debutant Josh Simm scorched in off a marvellous mis-pass by stand-in fullback Tom Nisbet. And finally Nisbet himself was able to go through a huge gap after more good work by the two props.

But the Eagles clearly had serious intentions themselves, and with Jordan Abdull beginning to demonstrate how difficult his varied assortment of kicks are to handle, and their forwards also starting to get on top, the Roughyeds’ defence suddenly began to show fallibility.

First it was simple passing to the right that created a scoring overlap for Joe Brown.

And, as half-time approached, three of the softest tries imaginable allowed them to take the lead.

Substitute hooker Reiss Butterworth first tapped a penalty a few metres out, and gave the ball to Alex Foster on the blind side; he touched down with ease.

Then George Griffin – who was a real handful throughout – crashed over from close range, and finally ex-Oldham favourite Kieran Gill went through a gap a mile wide in the left-hand corner.

In the meantime, the Roughyeds had been reduced to twelve men when Simm, after somehow catching and tackling Ryan Millar after the Eagles’ winger had intercepted in his own half, earned the yellow card for holding on after the tackle, in the 29th minute – no doubt a factor in the three scores conceded in the time that remained.

What was the second half to hold?

A superbly athletic, side-stepping solo effort by Ben O’Keefe began proceedings, followed soon by a close-range one by another former home favourite Martyn Reilly, and then a stormer down the left wing by Luke Forber.

Thus was set up the nail-biting finale.

GAMESTAR: Although on the losing side, eventually, Jordan Abdull’s classy display of most of the skills of the classic halfback was a joy to see.

GAMEBREAKER: Josh Drinkwater kicked a field-goal from 35 metres, 16 seconds from the final hooter, to win a pulsating match for his side.

MATCHFACTS

OLDHAM
21 Tom Nisbet
33 Josh Simm
5 Jake Bibby
3 Ben O’Keefe
29 Luke Forber
6 Morgan Smith
23 Josh Drinkwater
15 Owen Farnworth
9 Matty Wildie
15 Ted Chapelhow
11 Matty Ashurst
26 Brad Day
13 Adam Milner
Subs
4 Ben Davies
7 Tom Forber
33 Valu Tanē Bentley (not used)
– Lazarus Vaalepu

Tries: Chapelhow (4), Simm (9), Nisbet (15), O’Keefe (43), L Forber (57)
Goals: Smith 5/6
Field-goals: Drinkwater (80)
Sin bin: Simm (29) – professional foul

EAGLES
28 Greg Eden
2 Joe Brown
19 Will Oakes
4 Kieran Gill
21 Ryan Millar
6 Kai Morgan
27 Jordan Abdull
10 Martyn Reilly
9 Corey Johnson
8 Conor Fitzsimmons
11 Connor Bower
23 Alex Foster
15 George Griffin
Subs (all used)
13 Jack Bussey
14 Reiss Butterworth
17 Harry Bowes
22 Masi Matongo

Tries: Brown (22), Foster (31), Griffin (36), Gill (39), Reilly (53)
Goals: Morgan 1/1, Abdull 1/3, Bower 3/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0, 16-6, 16-10, 16-16, 16-20; 22-20, 22-26, 28-26, 28-28, 30-28, 30-30, 31-30

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Oldham: Josh Drinkwater; Eagles: Jordan Abdull

Penalty count: 8-6
Half-time: 16-20
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 1,125