Gill's moment of pure magic

Kieran Gill

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OCCASIONALLY, in any sporting contest, there comes a magic moment which has the WOW factor and transcends all that has gone before it.

A classic example was Kieran Gill's amazing match-winning try near the end of an action-packed thriller which provided Oldham with a thoroughly-deserved 26-22 win.

Picture the scene. Urged on by a thousand or so fans and their drums, Bulls had edged ahead at 22-20 with Oldham's faithful few anxiously checking watches.

FAVOURITES

Firm favourites at that stage, Bulls again charged forward, intending to set up position in Oldham territory with a kick to touch.

Tuoyo Egodo got his foot to the ball and then retrieved it before pushing off a defender and launching himself up the touchline.

When Gill received on the inside he looked to have half the Bulls side either in front of him or closing in on him from his right.

What happened next stunned the Bradford hordes, sent Roughyeds fans wild and provided a winning try that will be talked about for the rest of the Championship season.

The loanee centre from Castleford went on a diagonal surge to the posts in which he stepped inside two defenders, pushed off another, straightened up, survived a fourth challenge and looked to be falling just short in tackle five.

He rode it, had enough strength to twist his body round and joyously planted the ball over the line with his one free hand.

Scott Leatherbarrow goaled and a few moments later Oldham were home and dry.

Still high on emotion, Gill said: "It was like a multi-vehicle car crash you see on TV. I just kept dodging and weaving and looking for a bit of space.

"It was about heart and desire. I could have gone down and set us up for another play, but I was determined to get there."

Fashioned by Egodo and finished by Gill, it was a classy try with the Cas hallmark, but it was reward for the hard work and commitment displayed by all 17 players in red and white hoops.

Richard Lepori, at full-back, took a few smacks, but was as brave and courageous as ever.

Danny Grimshaw's defence was exemplary; Leatherbarrow ran the show with aplomb; and big-hearted forwards like Adam Neal, Sammy Gee, Ben Davies, Jack Spencer and dual-reg Nathan Mason laid the platform.

Spencer gave a top-class performance in an Oldham pack that never took a backward step and tackled ferociously from start to finish.

From the side beaten at Batley, Grimshaw, Gee, Gill and Mason replaced Gareth Owen, dual-reg duo Sam Wood and Mikey Wood and injured George Tyson.

Mason played the Phil Joy role - a big, physical presence trundling forward and taking a lot of steam out of the opposition.

DIFFERENCE

It ended four tries apiece, the difference being Leatherbarrow's five goals to Jordan Lilley's three.

Having won the toss and electing to play up the slope, Oldham were ahead after five minutes when Hewitt and Spencer employed quick hands under the posts to send Neal crashing in. Leatherbarrow goaled as Neal left the field with a bloody nose.

Quick tries by Lee Smith and James Bentley put Bulls ahead for the first time and there followed a fiercely-fought arm wrestle for the next 20 minutes before Roughyeds fell further behind.

Joe Keyes kicked high for the corner and Ethan Ryan soared high into the air to catch above his head and score in the corner. Lilley's touchline goal gave Bulls a 14-6 lead.

Oldham needed to hit back before half-time and they did it when Leatherbarrow's last-tackle grubber into the in-goal was pounced on by a jubilant Danny Langtree.

Roughyeds were happy with a two-point interval deficit and use of the slope to come, but they couldn't convert territorial advantage into points for the first 20 minutes or so of the new half.

When Keyes scored and Lilley converted for a 20-12 Bradford lead, Bradford seemed to be heading for home on a wet sail.

Oldham, though, had no intention of sinking. Back they came to square things up at 20-20, first with Egodo's try from Hewitt's chip, then a beautiful Leatherbarrow goal off the touchline, followed by a penalty goal from distance.

Naylor's men seemed to have blown it when they conceded a soft penalty for obstruction and Lilley pushed Bulls 22-20 in front.

Then came Gill's stunner . . . and Bradford had no answer to that.