Naylor’s slant on the slope

THE slope on the Whitebank pitch will play no part in Oldham’s preparation or game plan for Sunday’s derby clash with Rochdale Hornets.

“Slope? What slope?” joked coach Scott Naylor when asked if the pitch’s prominent dip was regarded as an ally of the team that knows it best.

Under Naylor’s leadership, Roughyeds have been beaten at Whitebank only five times in two and a half seasons — twice by Rochdale.

They went through the whole of last season unbeaten at home. But Naylor is adamant the lie of the land at his club’s Limehurst Village home isn’t even a consideration when Lewis Palfrey wins the toss and has choice of ends.

“We never, ever talk about it,” added the Roughyeds boss. “The media might, we don’t. It wouldn’t make any difference if it was a one in 10 gradient. We consider many things when looking at game plans, but the pitch isn’t one of them.

“Whitebank is our pitch, our grass. We obviously know it better than anybody else because we train there on Saturdays and play there on Sundays, but whether its flat or has a slope bears no significance at all as to how we play.”