Little reward for brave effort

STEPPING INSIDE: Oldham forward Adam Neal tries to out-fox the Rams defence at Bower Fold. PICTURE by DAVE MURGATROYD

URGED on by 500 loyalists who'll be on throat soothers by now, injury-smashed Oldham met adversity head-on at Bower Fold last night only to be brought down by a cruel bounce of the ball in the last few minutes.

All was well early on when, in the fourth minute, David Hewitt sent Danny Grimshaw behind the posts for a try which Scott Leatherbarrow improved.

A Gareth Moore cross-kick paved the way for Dale Morton to hit back with a score in the corner. Paul Sykes added the goal from wide out.

Roughyeds got back in front when Michael Ward crashed in for a trademark try, goaled by Leatherbarrow, to lead at half-time, 12-6.

On the night of the longest day, however, injury struck when centre Grimshaw limped off with a damaged hamstring. He didn't return. Luke Adamson's switch to centre disrupted pack plans.

Early in the second half full-back Scott Turner suffered concussion. He, too, didn't come back. Gareth Owen went to full-back, leaving Kenny Hughes to plough a lone furrow at hooker.

In the next 10 minutes Roughyeds suffered enough body-blows to last a season.

Adam Neal was sin-binned for putting his shoulder into Dewsbury's lively half-back Gareth Moore.

Already busted, under heavy fire and down to 12 men, Roughyeds were further undone when Owen put his body on the line to stop a Rams try - and didn't get up.

He was carried off with a serious foot injury - perhaps broken - and the second half was still only 13 minutes old.

With Grimshaw, Turner and Owen done for the night it was 14 versus 17 for the last half hour, Roughyeds having only one fit man on the bench.

STRANDED

Leatherbarrow became the side's third full-back and just in time to be left stranded by an unlucky ricochet of a Moore kick which bounced straight into the path of Aaron Ollett who scored the second Rams try, converted by Sykes to level at 12-12.

Leatherbarrow was covering across to deal with the kick when George Tyson instinctively put out his foot and the ball changed direction to leave a joyful Ollett with nothing to do but touch down unopposed.

For the next 20 minutes an Oldham side that was out on its knees battled magnificently to stay in the game and then to pull away again with two Leatherbarrow penalties for a 16-12 lead.

Hewitt's left peg repeatedly drilled the ball 30 or 40 metres into touch to keep the Rams penned into their own quarter.

Neal, Burke, Langtree, Spencer, Ward, Thompson and Davies, each having to go beyond the call of duty because of the shortage of bodies, somehow found the energy to tackle until they dropped.

PERFORMED

A late shot on Hewitt saw Leatherbarrow nosing Roughyeds back into the lead in the 63rd minute and then they performed heroics to keep the Rams at bay.

When they counter-attacked, Neal was impeded at his play-the-ball and Leatherbarrow again made it count. It was 16-12, and the clock was ticking.

They looked to have enough in reserve to hang on, but with only five minutes left they were flattened by another cruel hammer blow.

Moving forward to set up base camp in Dewsbury territory, it fell to Leatherbarrow to hit a low trajectory kick down the touchline.

Nine times out of 10 it would have found a way through, but this time the ball hit Moore's foot, shot back over Oldham heads and then sat up perfectly for Moore as he raced through to score the equalising try. Sykes goaled.

In the dying seconds, Luke Adamson got Chisholm away up the wing, but for the second time in the game he was pulled back, this time for a forward pass.

There was only time left for Sykes to add a penalty goal after the hooter.