Slog on the Tyne for Oldham

FOOT RACE: Oldham’s Richard Lepori makes a dash.

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NEWCASTLE THUNDER 16, OLDHAM 28

OLDHAM Rugby Club maintained their top-of-the-table position with a hard-fought win over a battling Newcastle Thunder side at Kingston Park.

Tries from Tom Ashton, Dave Hewitt and Elliott Lukui two from Jon Ford - plus four goals from Lewis Palfrey - were enough to clinch victory.

Despite the scoreline suggesting a comfortable victory for the high-fliers, they were pushed all the way by Stanley Gene’s side, with the result in the balance until the last few minutes.

Thunder enjoyed the brighter opening, attacking Oldham with pace - though Scott Naylor’s Oldham men took advantage of Newcastle indiscipline to exert pressure.

It wasn’t until the 23rd minute that the scoreboard was troubled, with Thunder the first to get off the mark with a Benn Hardcastle try.

Oldham reduced the gap moments later as they pounced on a loose, speculative pass from Thunder’s 10 metre line and fed Ford, who went over for his first of the afternoon.

Thunder had the final word of the half with a superb try from Macauley Hallet that began with an Oldham error.

Oldham got back on level terms with a simple try from Dave Hewitt shortly after the break, punishing a loose pass from Thunder in the shadow of the Roughyeds’ line.

Taking the lead for the first time with a converted try from Elliott Likui as the hour approached, both Thunder and Oldham were reduced to 12 men with Hallet and Sam Gee receiving their marching orders for fighting.

Paying testament to the closeness of the game, Palfrey opted to take the shot at goal offered from the resultant penalty, which he duly despatched to take his side eight points ahead.

When a diving effort from Jason Tali made it a two-point game with 10 minutes to go, nerves could have set in - but this Oldham side can dig deep when needed, and duly did so in the final two minutes.

First, Ford grabbed his second of the afternoon off the back of a scrum after a handling error from the hosts’ cover defence in dealing with a fifth tackle chip through.

Oldham were able to add further gloss on the hooter, as Ashton plucked an attempted chip out of the air on the half-way line before surging up the field and over the line for a converted score.

The result puts Oldham four points clear at the top of the table and ready to receive Barrow Raiders on Sunday.