Cohesion plus effort made it a game when all came right

COACH’s VIEW: THE result was completely different, thank goodness, but I didn’t notice all that many changes in the way we approached the Hunslet play-off match compared to the league game against the same opposition three weeks ago.

On the last day of the regular season we lost 36-18 at their place. But I watched that match back on DVD in order to prepare for this one and the only difference between the two were that this time, we were fully focused on their weaknesses and exploited them.

The effort was always there. But perhaps we have more cohesion now, having had a relatively settled team recently.

Our energy was directed the right way on Sunday, whereas away at the South Leeds Stadium it is fair to say was all over the place.

We really took it to them and they just didn’t have the answers.

It didn’t all go according to the script. Our substitutes plan went out of the window in the first half. At one stage we needed to bring Craig Littler, Marcus St Hilaire and Paul Reilly off with nobody to replace them.

Gary Sykes and Matty Ashe both put their hands up to play at centre and Marcus went out to the wing to limit his involvement.

It meant most of our forwards were pretty much stuck out there.

Craig Lawton, Tommy Goulden, Martin Roden and Chris Baines all needed rests but played virtually full games for us.

It was an extra special effort and even conceding those last three tries, we were keen to push on to the end. Overall I was pleased with the way that we defended and there were periods where we had to do that side of the game well. It was a team effort.

Having got through for the second week in a row, the York game is one that we are really looking forward to. It will be different this time playing away from home, as we have enjoyed some fantastic support at Boundary Park of late.

There may have only been 801 fans there on Sunday but it certainly sounded like thousands. Hopefully the supporters will get across there to the Huntington Stadium in big numbers to give us another lift — it makes the players feel great and gives them such a lift. I would also like to thank our sponsors, who help the club out week after week.

We go into the York game with a lot of confidence. The guys were all absolutely physically shattered after Hunslet and it is a big ask but something you have to get over if you want to win the play-offs.

We are two games away now and there are no mysteries.

The Hunslet performance showed what we can do if we stick to the game plan. Now we have to do it again at York and then hopefully against Keighley too.

tonybenson@oldham-chronicle.co.uk