Brown encore stuns Oldham

Photo: Dave Murgatroyd

OUTNUMBERED . . . Oldham's Liam Thompson is held short of the home side's line.

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HEAVYWEIGHT prop James Brown left Batley's bench a quarter of an hour before half time to smash Oldham's stubborn and gutsy resistance.

Having done a similar job on derby rivals Dewsbury Rams the week before in Blackpool, Brown came up with an encore at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium to crash over from close range for two tries in 10 minutes in the run-up to half-time.

Oldham won the toss and chose to play up the notorious slope, the plan being to contain the home side in the first half and then to go at them in the second.

LOCKED UP

Everything went well for Roughyeds for most of the half with the scores locked up at 6-6 when Brown and his fellow prop Tom Lillycrop made their entry.

Fifteen minutes and three converted tries later, Batley led 24-6 and Oldham were left with far too much to do on the resumption, slope or no slope.

Destroyer-in-chief Brown - big, brash and abrasive - did the damage almost single-handed and he continued to throw his weight around in the second half, always making ground, attracting the attention of three or four defenders and invariably getting a pass away to close support.

Oldham's middle unit, comprising of Phil Joy, on-loan Tom Spencer, Michael Ward and Joe Burke were battered and bruised in their valiant yet unsuccessful attempts to hold their own with Keegan Hirst, another giant, Adam Gledhill, Brown and Lillycrop.

Brown revealed later that, having been beaten 28-12 at Bower Fold in April, the Bulldogs were determined to claw back two league points on their own patch.

To that end they had to win the battle of the big lads up front, and they did that impressively with plenty still left in the tank.

If Oldham were to make any serious attempt to get back into the game in the second half they had to score first, but they resumed with a couple of early handling errors and Batley capitalised to go 30-6 in front. That was that, so to speak.

Oldham coach Scott Naylor's plans were disrupted when Danny Grimshaw failed to make it in time after a groin injury, Will Hope went over on an ankle in training and dual-reg full-back Jared Simpson was also unavailable due to injury. It left him with 15 fit players, plus dual-reg personnel.

It meant Lewis Palfrey was named at full-back, Steve Roper returned in the halves and two Huddersfield Giants teenagers were in the centre, Liam Johnson and new-boy Sam Wood, the latter for the first time in Oldham colours.

The visitors battled bravely with particularly encouraging performances from their diminutive midfield trio of Gareth Owen, Roper and Kenny Hughes.

STERLING JOB

Palfrey had a safe pair of hands under the high ball, while Adam Clay did a sterling job on defence in the second half to make sure his opposite number, Alex Brown, didn't get on the score sheet.

Second-rowers Gary Middlehurst and Danny Langtree were always in the thick of the action, but the forwards generally were well beaten.

That made it all the more surprising that Owen, Roper and Hughes each did such a good job in difficult circumstances.

Hughes set the ball rolling with a clever try from dummy half in the seventh minute. Palfrey added the goal.

Naylor's men then had a lot of defending to do, but they did it well, as highlighted when Roper stopped big Wayne Reittie head-on and with the winger in full flight, only to be penalised for lying-on ­- a harsh judgement to say the least.

It paved the way for Bulldogs to equalise with a try by Luke Blake, improved by Brambani. Soon after that, James Brown and Lillycrop took to the field and Oldham were soon in big trouble.

Brown crashed over for a 12-6 lead before Roper's cross-kick to the left on the last tackle evaded the jumping Wood. It was plucked out of the air by Wayne Reittie, who turned defence into attack by shooting away from Jack Holmes and going nearly the full length of the pitch to score an opportunist try against the run of play.

That was a sickener for Oldham, who conceded a fourth try on half-time when James Brown, close to the line, swivelled, dummied and forced his way over.

In the second half Brambani (two) and Greg Minikin scored further tries for Bulldogs, whiile Wood and Middlehurst crossed for Roughyeds.

Wood had a lot to do when he received from Roper on the left, but he cut inside and finished strongly.

Time was almost running out when Roper beat the defence with a little chip and then cleverly inter-passed with Middlehurst for the second-row man to score the best try of the game.