Finale falls flat

Alex Jobson gets on the end of Gareth Barber's kick to score a try for Oldham

Oldham RUFC 1sts 20

Wigton 1sts 23

OLDHAM’S successful season in North Lancashire and Cumbria League ended on a losing note, but their reverse should not detract from a superb campaign for a team which had been promoted and little expected of them.

Cumbrian outfit Wigton came to Oldham with a well-organised squad and caused problems from the kick-off.

Wigton went ahead after five minutes when Oldham were guilty of holding on in the tackle and the visiting kicker duly dispatched the penalty.

A 3-0 lead became 8-0 soon after when the Wigton winger stole the ball in the tackle and raced 30 metres to score. However, Oldham replied almost immediately when Will Mellor took a quick tap penalty, made 20 metres and offloaded to Callum Megram, who in turn sent Ryan Arundale away to the line.

Megram levelled matters with a penalty for offside and, soon after, Oldham were unlucky not to take the lead when the referee judged Phil Graham to have been held up over the line.

Then the referee got card happy, first sin-binning a Wigton player for a deliberate knock-on and then sending Phil Graham to the same place for illegally stealing the ball on the ground.

The latter offence resulted in three more points for the away side, but Oldham responded and Arundale was unlucky to see a try ruled out for a dubious knock-on before Jamie Edwards scrambled between defenders for a well-deserved touchdown. Megram goaled to give Oldham a 15-11 half-time lead.

Wigton came out for the second half with renewed vigour and two tries, one of them goaled, gave them a 23-15 lead

Oldham responded when Gareth Barber’s beautiful kick dropped neatly into the arms of full-back Alex Jobson, who raced in for the try.

Alas, the home side could not add to their tally and the visitors held on by a narrow margin.