Massive challenge for Oldham

ON A RUN: Oldham’s Tom Ashton hopes his side can maintain their hot streak against Swinton on Sunday.

PLAYERS and staff at Whitebank are gearing up for Oldham’s biggest game since last year’s grand final.

They could lose to Swinton Lions on Sunday (3pm) and still finish as League One leaders with a win at Oxford in the last game - but after winning 11 games in a row, defeat at home isn’t something under consideration.

A 12th consecutive victory would put Scott Naylor’s men within touching distance of the League Leaders’ crown, and within 80 minutes of promotion with a win at Whitebank - where they rarely lose.

“We’ve had a lot of important games this year, but this is the biggest of the lot by far,” said club chairman Chris Hamilton.

“They’re all big games from here on in, but the fans will definitely see this one as an opportunity not to be missed,” added Naylor.

“Massive, simple as that,” said Tom Ashton, who said his fellow players are confident but not excessively so in advance of the game.

“One long winning streak is going to end. In that respect it will be D-Day,” added the former Sheffield Eagles centre, who is hoping he will keep his left-centre spot when Naylor names his line-up tomorrow.

“We all want to play in big games, but competition is tough. I’m just hoping to be selected.”

The season was in full swing when he signed from Sheffield and in only his second game he seriously damaged a knee and was out for four months.

This game will be his fourth since returning and he is still “catching up” on general match fitness and stamina.

“Hopefully my best is still to come,” he added. “It would be nice to think it could be in the promotion final, but we have a lot of work to do first.”