Roughyeds simply superb

Photo: PICTURES by DAVE MURGATROYD.

ON THE BURST: Oldham’s Adam Files carries the fight to the Crusaders.

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A FISTFUL of F words can best describe a fabulous win in North Wales that put Oldham fans in seventh heaven.

Forceful, fantastic, fastidious and fearless are among the words you could use to describe Roughyeds’ performance in Wrexham. They won 23-6 to inflict Crusaders’ biggest league defeat of the season to end their rivals’ five-game winning run into third place.

It was Oldham’s sixth win in eight games away, avenging 18-16 and 38-28 defeats by the Welshmen at Whitebank.

In a replica of the razzle-dazzle start they made against Swinton, the visitors posted notice of intent by going 12-0 up in five minutes on the back of two early penalties and before Crusaders had touched the ball - apart from kicking off.

Penalties were to play a huge part in what happened next because astonishingly, Crusaders were awarded 10 in a row; some judgment calls but two, against Richard Lepori and Adam Neal, because of slack work with Roughyeds in possession.

PHappily, they were to prove uncharacteristic blips in an otherwise outstanding Oldham performance.

Brute force came into it because to stand any chance of winning at Wrexham for the first time in three visits under Naylor, they needed Neal, Phil Joy, Sammy Gee, Michael Ward and Liam Thompson to win the physical battle up front.

Neal and Joy were monsters in Oldham’s opening salvo, while Ward and Thompson stepped up to the mark off the bench. Play-anywhere Gee, this time at loose forward, grafted tirelessly throughout, as did the workaholic Thompson.

Middlehurst led the Welsh forwards splendidly, but Oldham were fearless in the close exchanges around the ruck, in possession and in tackling in numbers to prevent the home side’s offloads, which had done so much damage in the Welsh side’s two wins at Whitebank.

Roughyeds also enjoyed a massive advantage in handling skills, provided by Gareth Owen, Kenny Hughes and Adam Files.

The longer the game went on, the stronger and more dominant Oldham became, but it was in defence, individually and collectively, that Naylor’s men excelled.

It’s more than a year since Crusaders were last restricted to six points at this venue — and in this game they breached the Roughyeds’ cast-iron defence only once, despite the run of 10 first-half penalties when Oldham couldn’t get a touch of the ball.

Lepori and Clay were subjected to a barrage of bombs from Jamie Dallimore in constant drizzle which made handling hazardous. There was the odd spot of bother for the duo but in the main they coped well - especially Clay, who on attack and defence gave an outstanding performance on the right wing.

Naylor fielded Lepori at full-back, Jon Ford at centre and Gee in the forwards to the exclusion of Tom Dempsey, dual-reg Oliver Roberts and Richard Joy.

Oldham couldn’t have wished for a better start. Joy was held up over the home line before Owen released a great pass for Neal to crash over. Lewis Palfrey converted.

Crusaders were quickly penalised again for a high tackle. Joy went close a second time and from play-the-ball Owen concealed his inside ball perfectly for Gee to cross through a mesmerised and bewildered defence.

Palfrey’s second conversion put Oldham in command at 12-0, but there then followed a few lapses that invited Crusaders back into the game.

It was nip and tuck until half-time, with Oldham unable to satisfy the demands of referee Hewer - as a result of which they had to defend brilliantly to keep their line from suffering.

Early in the second half, Alex Thompson needed treatment after a taking a heavy challenge and then a bone-shaking tackle by Ward on Johnson forced an error from which Oldham capitalised.

Palfrey’s teasing kick to the Crusaders line was fumbled and Clay pounced to score the only try in a fiercely-fought second half.

Palfrey converted and as Roughyeds started to make big inroads into the home defence Steve Roper dropped a goal for a 19-6 lead and Palfrey added two more late penalties to put the winning seal on a performance that was worthy of a team at the top of the table.