Resolute Ashton close to return

WHEN Tom Ashton gets the all-clear to put on his Oldham jersey again after three and a half months out, he will be the happiest man in the Roughyeds' dressing room.

Running him a close second will be the boss, Scott Naylor. Ashton tore the ligaments in his left knee in only his second game for Naylor's men against South Wales Scorpions at Mountain Ash on April 19.

Signed from Sheffield Eagles, the 23 year old centre had a promising debut against Coventry Bears at Whitebank and looked even better in South Wales - until he went down in a harmless-looking tackle before half-time.

In the weeks that followed he was found to have severe ligament damage, but his specialist felt that with hard work he might recover without an operation - which would have finished him for the season. Recovery draws nearer by the day - as does the game when Leigh-lad Ashton will have to put the knee to the ultimate test.

Said Naylor: "If anybody deserves to make a full recovery from this sort of injury and to go on and enjoy a good career in the game it's Tom. He's getting close now. It could be two or three weeks away, depending on the outcome when we get our heads together to decide when the time is right.

“We don’t want to rush him. His commitment to this fight has been absolutely first class. He’s working like mad. He’s back running with the squad now, but as well as that he’s spending a great deal of time with the physio on a rehab programme.

“To hold down a day job and to be so totally committed to his specialist training and his rehab shows fantastic durability, but that’s what players do at Oldham when they are injured and out of the game for any length of time.”

Ashton said: “I’m stepping up things week by week and everything seems to be going to plan. I saw my specialist last week for the first time in a month and he was very happy about the amount of progress I was making.

“With a bit of luck I could be ready to make myself available for selection again by the middle of August, but it will be hard to break back into the side because they are all playing so well.”