OLDHAM 46 MIDLANDS HURRICANES 16
IAN WILSON, Boundary Park, Sunday

OLDHAM came through this second phase of the Championship play-off series in some comfort, though Midlands can bow out with considerable satisfaction with their overall season, as well as from the effort, and indeed occasionally quality, they showed here.

Their victory earlier in the season at the same venue in the 1895 Cup, however, had given notice of their ability to score points galore, and the Roughyeds had duly tightened their defensive commitment in advance. The outcome was the concession of only 16 points, and a 30-point margin win.

The foundation was laid by the Roughyeds’ pack, magnificently led by Ted Chapelhow. But all the others were not far behind, both in yard-making and in tackling steel, so that the Hurricanes tended to be living off scraps for most of the game. 

The pattern was set soon after the start, with Chapelhow crashing over twice from close range, put through by soft hands from Josh Drinkwater on each occasion, after others had set up an attacking position. With Morgan Smith converting both, as well as an early penalty, Oldham already had a three-score lead.

A simple overlap down the Midlands right – Oldham’s defence seriously lacking on this occasion – soon saw Aidan McGowan stroll over in his side’s first serious attack, on the end of a slick James Woodburn-Hall pass,.

But Jake Bibby immediately had a similar overlap walk-in, after a marvellous Matty Wildie 50-metre break-out.

Thus, the home side had a 20-4 lead after the first quarter, and last week’s demons looked to be well and truly banished.

The second quarter was reasonably well-contested, but the pressure Oldham were exerting generated several Midlands handling errors, with rewards coming in the final few minutes of the first half.

Jack Walker, who had earlier laid on the Bibby try via a clever mis-pass, went over on the right side himself in the 36th minute, direct from a scrum ten metres out, and then, as the hooter blew, Drinkwater’s diagonal run saw him glide through a gap for his side’s fifth try of the half.

When McGowan scooted over from dummy-half just four minutes after the interval, one wondered whether there might be another Roughyed collapse from a winning position.

But Smith’s 40/20 soon afterwards, which three tackles later led to a close-range score by the grafting Adam Milner, settled any Oldham nerves.

The remainder of the contest was then quite low key.

The Hurricanes continued to play some attractive rugby, attempting to use the width of the pitch on a regular basis, and indeed they once managed to get round the home defence, Ross Oakes going over wide out on the right in the 61st minute.

But Oldham had too much class, and it was fitting that the final try, in the 70th minute, came from a mesmerising interpassing move in centre-field, which saw Smith charging the final ten metres to cap his excellent all-round afternoon.

GAMESTAR: Morgan Smith’s goal-kicking was immaculate and he contributed a superb 40/20 at an important time, as well as scoring Oldham’s closing try.

GAMEBREAKER: Smith’s 40/20, which led directly to a try by Adam Milner, put aside any thoughts of a second half Midlands comeback after Aidan McGowan had opened the scoring after the interval.

MATCHFACTS

OLDHAM
1 Jack Walker
21 Tom Nisbet
3 Ben O’Keefe
5 Jake Bibby
33 Josh Simm
6 Morgan Smith
23 Josh Drinkwater
10 Owen Farnworth
9 Matty Wildie
15 Ted Chapelhow
11 Matty Ashurst
26 Brad Day
13 Adam Milner
Subs
4 Ben Davies
12 Ryan Lannon
14 Cole Geyer
30 Finlay Irwin (not used)

Tries: Chapelhow (8, 11), Bibby (18), Walker (36), Drinkwater (40), Milner (51), Smith (76)
Goals: Smith 9/9

HURRICANES
30 James Woodburn-Hall
2 Matty Chrimes
31 Liam Sutcliffe
4 Ross Oakes
23 Aidan McGowan
19 Sully Medforth
7 Lewis Else
8 Jon Luke Kirby
9 Aiden Roden
10 Tyler Dickinson
3 Ryan Johnson
20 Toby Warren
12 Oliver Roberts
Subs (all used)
1 Todd Horner
11 Tom Wilkinson
15 Elliot Morris
16 Zeus Silk

Tries: McGowan (14, 44), Oakes (61)
Goals: Medforth 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 14-0, 14-4, 20-4, 26-4, 32-4; 32-10, 38-10, 38-16, 44-16, 46-16

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Oldham: Morgan Smith; Hurricanes: James Woodburn-Hall

Penalty count: 5-7
Half-time: 32-4
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 1,006