Hewitt finds a spark

Photo: Lewis Mitchell

COLLARED: Oldham forward Michael Ward has his jersey grabbed, but his side had the last laugh.

GLOUCESTER ALL GOLDS 30, OLDHAM 42

LOAN teenager David Hewitt crowned an impressive Oldham debut with two tries, a 40-20 and plenty of slick distribution.

You can’t put an old head on young shoulders, but this 19 year old from St Helens, in as left-side half-back so Steve Roper could be given a rest, surely did everything expected of him and more.

The eyes of Oldham’s few travelling supporters were all on the new boy, who was playing his first game in nine weeks, his first in a new team and his first against men at senior level. All things considered, he came through with flying colours.

At 19 he isn’t one of those half-backs who will close a game down, put it to bed or play a lead role in team tactics. He’ll play what’s in front of him with the exuberance of youth and the vitality of a fresher who wants to make his mark at a senior level. That’s exactly what he did.

It wasn’t an easy game for him, either. Scott Naylor had warned Gloucester would take some beating on their own patch and he wasn’t wrong. Had it not been for the 18 points they gained from three converted tries in the six minutes either side of the half, Roughyeds might have been in trouble.

With a 36-12 lead just after half-time they looked to be ready to pile up points, especially when Thompson surged through a huge gap and looked certain to increase Oldham’s lead. He opted to throw a pass inside to the supporting Danny Langtree and the try was disallowed for a forward pass.

Try or not, it was a defining moment that changed the course of the game. For a long spell after that Roughyeds could do little right and the spirited All Golds rocked them on their heels with three unanswered tries, two conversions and a penalty goal to haul themselves back to 30-36.

Fortunately for Oldham, the All Golds couldn’t handle Dempsey’s restart kick, from which the visitors regained possession to score the 68th-minute try that gave breathing space.

George Tyson was heavily marked throughout the game and, in his first spell particularly, Owen was not once given an inch of room in which to work his magic.

Hewitt’s first touch gave him the opportunity to put in a high, teasing kick into a swirling wind from which Adam Clay scored the first of his two tries in the corner.

Three penalties in a row gave Gloucester plenty of possession, leading to a try from close range by prop Chris Vitalini.

Roughyeds gradually got on top after that, scoring four more first-half tries to one other by the All Golds, scored in the corner by Mapals from a Bradley cross-kick.

Hewitt’s grubber forced a drop out from which Adam Files sent Phil Joy under the posts for the Roughyeds’ second try. Then Hewitt scored his first two tries in senior rugby, twice tracking the ball carrier superbly to take the final pass and race away to the posts.

Clay’s second try from Palfrey’s perfectly-flighted kick to the corner, providing Palfrey with his fifth goal off the touchline gave Oldham a 30-12 interval lead.

Within minutes of the restart, the speed and accuracy of Hewitt’s long pass gave Palfrey a split second to unleash Langtree, who strolled over wide out to make it look easy.

It wasn’t to be. Oldham should have gone on and made their supremacy count, but they lapsed into a silly spell and Gloucester capitalised with Bradley as main provider and Mapals the principal finisher.

At 30-36 it got too close for comfort before the Holmes try settled things down a bit and Oldham hung on to collect two more precious points with their ninth win from 12 games.