Oldham lap up ‘nil-points’ win
Date published: 24 January 2011
Photo: Chris Sunderland
WELL DONE . . . Matthew Fogarty (right) gets a hug from Lucas Onyango after grabbing a try in the half-century defeat of Whitehaven.
OLDHAM 50, WHITEHAVEN 0
MUCH more of this and Roughyeds will be thinking of improving the Whitebank Stadium by knocking together a trophy cabinet and putting it up in the clubhouse.
With the season proper still a fortnight away, Tony Benson's men have already made a flying start to 2011 by winning each of their two warm-up games on home soil and in so doing getting their hands on a double helping of silver in the shape of the Law Cup and the SEAT Trophy.
They ran in seven tries to beat Rochdale 34-28 and went two better in yesterday's demolition job on Whitehaven, scoring nine of the best to leave the under-prepared Cumbrians looking shell-shocked and shaken.
Better still from an Oldham perspective, Whitehaven were "nilled" — and you could put that down as much to the Roughyeds' burning desire to keep their try line intact as to their opponents' inept attempts to attack with vision and conviction.
It's early days yet, of course, but Benson has every right to be going into the new season with the quiet confidence of a man who believes passionately in the capabilities of an exciting squad that he and his chairman, Chris Hamilton, have painstakingly put together despite financial restraints.
"I expected a first-rate performance," said Benson, "and the boys came up with one. I was particularly pleased that we put into practice the things we have been working on."
Size does count in this collision sport. The Roughyeds this year, a mix of youth and experience, are much bigger physically than in recent seasons and in young props such as Liam Gilchrist, Luke Sutton and Tom Wood-Hulme they have a plentiful supply of raw aggression and strength.
One devastating drive by Wood-Hulme up the hill in the second half scattered 'Haven defenders and added to the 20-year-old's growing reputation as a mean machine.
Andy Isherwood, Dave Ellison, Martin Roden, Valu Bentley and new-boy Paul Noone each provided the calming influence of the experienced campaigner in a pack that totally dominated the likes of Howard Hill, Paul Culnane, Spencer and Dexter Miller and the huge Richard Farrar.
Halves Neil Roden and Mick Diveney couldn't go wrong while playing behind such a workmanlike set of forwards. Working on the right side of the ruck Diveney was particularly impressive in providing the vital link for first-half tries by Ben Heaton, Alistair Williams and 18-year-old Matthew Fogarty.
Heaton scored two tries, as did centre Williams and left-wing John Gillam, with Fogarty and fellow young centre Jack Bradbury getting one each.
