Super sub the Law enforcer

OFF THE MARK . . . Jamel Chisholm slides in to score his first try in Roughyeds colours.

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ROCHDALE HORNETS 12, OLDHAM 29

MICHAEL Ward tries either side of half-time kept Oldham comfortably in control of the Law Cup derby clash at Spotland.

It was a big day too for Roughyeds new boys Danny Grimshaw, Jack Spencer and Jamel Chisholm, who each scored their first try for the club in a first half in which Oldham dominated.

Hornets rallied after half-time - on a wet, soggy pitch caused by incessant rain before and during the game - but they never looked likely to overhaul Oldham’s 22-6 interval lead.

This latest derby triumph was just the tonic club and fans needed ahead of next Sunday’s opening Championship game against big-spending full-timers London Broncos at Bower Fold, Stalybridge.

While Oldham beat Barrow in Cumbria last week, Hornets beat Swinton Lions, who were promoted with Roughyeds at the end of last season.

They were up for a pre-season double against the Championship new boys, but their forwards couldn’t match the massive yardage gained up the middle by Spencer, Phil Joy and Will Hope.

In his best game so far for his new club, Spencer had a terrific first spell of 35 minutes, finding gaps, going through them with incisive pace and often getting his side on the front foot and moving forward strongly.

Hope also caught the eye - as did full-back Richard Lepori, Chisholm on the wing and two-try Ward, who raced under the sticks to score the first of his two tries off Steve Roper’s inside pass within three minutes of replacing Joy.

That stretched Oldham’s lead to 16 points. And when he went in again 10 minutes into the second half on a flat dummy-half pass from Adam Files, the visitors had enough leeway to see them home.

They needed only five minutes to start the ball rolling with a stunning individual try by Grimshaw, who demonstrated real class in puncturing Hornets’ right-side defence with a beautiful break and then turning on the gas to cross in the corner.

Fans were buzzing in anticipation of more of the same, but only 14 minutes into the game he got a kick away before picking up a painful injury to his lower leg in the tackle that followed.

His departure was a serious blow, but on went the ever-reliable Roper to form the half-back partnership with Lewis Palfrey that was such an integral part of last year’s promotion push.

Hornets rallied briefly to go in front with Wayne English’s try, goaled by Paul Crook, but Naylor then introduced the second of the four hookers he used and this one, Sammy Gee, made an immediate impact around the ruck.

Roughyeds were then to put their name on the Law Cup – again – with three converted tries in six minutes.

Spencer scored when he touched down Palfrey’s teasing grubber into the in-goal area and then strong-running Chisholm smashed his way over in the corner after another Palfrey kick, this time a high one, put the home defence in disarray.

Hope, Josh Crowley and Jon Ford moved the ball quickly left and the winger exercised pace and power to get to the line.

Oldham were now looking strong and incisive whenever they had the ball. Another defence-splitting break by Spencer opened up Roper on a diagonal break across the face of goal and Ward came on the inside to score under the posts.

When he scored his second try in the 50th minute and Palfrey added his fourth conversion it was all over bar the shouting.

Crowley was awarded the Oldham RL Heritage Trophy as man of the match, while half-back Yates, an Oldhamer, won the Karl Marriott Memorial award as Rochdale’s outstanding player.