Oldham warm to the task

GATHERED SAFELY . . . Michael Ward picks up possession as Oldham mount another attack.

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HEMEL STAGS 6, OLDHAM 70

IT took Oldham half an hour to get over the long journey and to slowly drain Hemel of their initial enthusiasm and honest endeavour.

Early on, the Kingstone Press League One leaders fell well short of the high standards that have been their trademark in recent weeks. But once they got in front, 10 minutes before half time, they blew Hemel away to record their biggest points haul in Scott Naylor’s three years as coach.

Big, strong and determined to slow the visitors’ play, Hemel stood their ground and scrapped for most of the first half.

Mike Stewart, their loose-forward, was knocked out in an early tackle, but within two drives of replacing him off the bench, the huge Malakhi Lloyd-Jones crashed over from close range to score the opening try which Aussie debutant Jesse Richardson converted.

Oldham levelled in the 12th minute when Gareth Owen dodged his way over from dummy half to provide Lewis Palfrey with the first of his 11 conversions from 12 shots. But for the next 20 minutes or so, a much-changed Roughyeds side struggled, made mistakes and had a score overturned for offside.

It was starting to look like one of those days... but when Danny Langtree went in for the first of his two tries after half an hour, the game changed beyond recognition.

Further scores followed before half-time by Michael Ward and loan teenager Hewitt, who was to make a massive mark on the game as the Stags finally capitulated in the second half.

Going in 22-6 up at half-time, Oldham could finally breathe easy - with plenty of puff to spare in the second half as they rattled up 48 points without reply to win 70-6. It was their ninth victory in a row, by their biggest margin of the season.

Naylor coped with the injury absence of wingers Adam Clay and Jack Holmes by playing Richard Lepori and Ford on the flanks, switching Sammy Gee to full-back and recalling Tom Ashton at centre after four months out with a serious knee injury.

He rested midfield general Steve Roper and brought back 19-year-old Hewitt to partner Palfrey..

Another loan player, 19-year-old prop Elliot Liku, was given his debut off the bench and came through with flying colours.

Gee, Palfrey, Hewitt, Owen, Langtree, Ward, Liam Thompson and Liku were the stand-out individuals in another hugely impressive team performance. The pack paved the way then Palfrey and Hewitt ran the show, the skipper finishing with 34 points from 11 goals and three tries to significantly extend his lead as League One’s top scorer.

Consolidating their four-point lead at the top, Naylor's men marched on proudly towards their promotion goal.