Roughyeds redemption

Photo: Tim Bradley

Liam Johnson touches down after chasing down a loose ball

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OLDHAM 28, BATLEY BULLDOGS 12

POPULAR Sam Gee’s magical try from dummy half 12 minutes into the second half brought the house down and pushed Oldham into a 22-2 lead.

It was the moment ecstatic fans pinched themselves — and dared to dream. Was this really happening? You bet it was. Was this the team that rolled over and leaked soft tries in conceding 70 points against Halifax and Swinton over Easter? Right again.

Before the match you would have got long odds on even the strongest available Roughyeds’ outfit living with in-form Batley Bulldogs, let alone a patched-up side without Tom Ashton, Danny Langtree, Danny Grimshaw, Jon Ford, Adam Files, Jack Holmes and Craig Briscoe.

The 17 charged with the responsibility of putting right Easter’s wrongs and getting supporters back onside produced a truly astonishing performance. They met head-on a big Batley side that has been steam-rollering nearly everything in its path this season and sent the Bulldogs back to Yorkshire, like their Heavy Woollen neighbours Dewsbury Rams before them, with their tails between legs.

Every player in red and white did his job, and did it well.

Jamel Chisholm survived an early barrage of bombs from Dominic Brambani and Pat Walker, but went on to score two priceless tries thanks to the initiative of Gee.

His 18-year-old co-centre Liam Johnson also did well, scoring a vital try on half-time and stopping a certain Batley try at the other end — one of several such stops on the line as Roughyeds defenders mounted an inspirational rearguard.

Bulldogs had massive props in Keegan Hirst and Alex Rowe and clever, experienced field kickers in former Sheffield pair Brambani and Walker, but they were not as effective as Lewis Palfrey and Steve Roper.

Oldham’s tackling, from all 17, was fabulous. Rarely was a one-on-one missed, while Batley’s bigger blokes were hit by twos and threes relentlessly.

Until the last few minutes, when Oldham already had the points in the bag, Bulldogs only seriously threatened with cross-kicks to the corners.

The 10 forwards used also worked tremendously hard, none more so than second-rowers Liam Thompson and Gary Middlehurst, who had a battle royal with Batley’s right flank.

This Oldham performance was built on guts, desire, bottle and a determination to prove that Roughyeds could be as physical as any opponent.

Nobody played that role better than Middlehurst, the side’s baby-faced destroyer, who has always punched above his weight throughout his career. The harder they hit him, the harder he went back for more.

With Oldham in this mood they quickly got supporters behind them. They roared their approval when Phil Joy crossed near the uprights — only to lose his grip on the ball in heavy traffic — and they soon had something else to shout about when Richard Lepori opened the scoring with the first try.

Roper and Middlehurst cleverly put Gee clear and the full-back supported on the inside to score behind the posts. Palfrey goaled.

Walker replied with a penalty goal for the visitors, but they didn’t score again until near the end, by which time Roughyeds had racked up 28 points.

On the stroke of half-time Lepori, Joe Burke, Jack Spencer and Thompson carried the visitors forward and Palfrey’s subsequent grubber kick bobbled into the in-goal, where Johnson dived in to touch down.

Fantastic defence denied Batley at the start of the second half before Roughyeds went up the other end and extended their lead. Palfrey’s cross-kick was palmed on to Chisholm by Gee and the winger crossed in the corner.

Gee scored next. He made the entire Batley defence look silly when he was hemmed in at the corner with nowhere to go. He dummied inside and the defensive line opened up for him to stroll over the line — the game’s defining moment.

Despite a 16-6 penalty count in their favour, Bulldogs couldn’t break down Oldham.

Roughyeds showed them how — again — when they worked the short side from a scrum on half way and Gee crowned a terrific individual performance by timing his pass perfectly to Chisholm, who flew up the touchline to register his second try and his side’s fifth.

Palfrey converted beautifully from wide out and Oldham were home and dry, having caused the biggest upset of the Championship weekend.