Palfrey equals record

LEWIS PALFREY: 34 points.

LEWIS Palfrey’s 34 points in Oldham’s big win at Hemel Stags equalled the all-time club record for most points in a single game.

Abe Johnson’s 30 in a win against Widnes at Watersheddings stood from 1928 to 2009 when Andy Ballard scored 34 with 13 goals and two tries in a 78-10 win against London Skolars at the New River Stadium on May 2.

Five months later, in September of the same year, Chris Baines ran in four tries and kicked nine goals in a 54-30 win against Hunslet at Boundary Park to equal Ballard’s achievement.

Now it’s been equalled again thanks to Palfrey’s hat-trick of tries and 11 goals in table-topping Oldham’s 70-6 defeat of Hemel in Hertfordshire.

It was the biggest win in coach Scott Naylor’s three seasons at Whitebank and it allowed Roughyeds to consolidate their firm grip on Kingstone Press League One in which they have a four-point advantage with four to play.

Palfrey: “I’m pleased and privileged to become one of three joint record holders. At the same time I’m gutted because the one conversion I missed, after Danny Langtree had scored our second try, was an absolute sitter.”

Oldham's next game is away to Newcastle Thunder, who suffered a shock 26-10 defeat at Gloucester and are now looking unlikely to qualify for the top-five play-off.

Naylor went on: “Newcastle have fallen away a little bit because Stanley Gene has had injuries and other issues to contend with. But having lost at Gloucester they will be wanting a response and Stanley will have them ready and waiting for us next Sunday.

“Despite the big score we posted at Hemel, our performance at Newcastle will have to go up a few notches. We’ve no new injuries, so I’ll have some tough decisions to make in picking the team.”