Rollercoaster game is a fitting tribute to Tony

Photo: Tim Abram

JUST MADE IT . . . Josh Walton nips in to score Oldham's second try

BOLTON 1st XV 25, Oldham 1st XV 26

A MUCH-CHANGED Oldham RU first XV claimed a thrilling 26-25 away Lancashire and Cumbria League win at Bolton.

Having missed out on promotion in a play-off with West Park last season the Avenue Street side are going well this time around.

The visitors lost five players - Watson, Roscoe, Oldham, Green and Blomeley - to a combination of injury and unavailability so into the squad came Froggat, North, Horsfall and Sayle.

As the second XV had already left for the long trip to Penrith it meant the senior side travelled with just 17 players.

IMPROVED
The home side opened the scoring on 10 minutes after Oldham were penalised under their own posts but Callum Megram slotted over soon after.

The kick and chase has been a weakness in Oldham's game of late but this improved when they found grass with the kick and the bounce favoured Max Horsfall to go in unopposed with Megram converting to lead 10-3.

Oldham's defence was being severely tested but the line stood strong and as the game reverted to kicking counter-attacks Bolton reduced the arrears with a kick under the posts.

The gap was down to a single point when Alex Jobson was sin-binned for obstruction after a failure to reach touch with a penalty.

With three minutes left on the sin bin as the second-half commenced Oldham were hit immediately when old boy Nick Duncan drove over from close range.

The conversion and another penalty made it 19-10 and with Bobby Cullen limping out after 50 minutes it looked grim for the visitors with a bare bench.

Oldham gained a numerical advantage when Will Mellor was felled following a quick tap but that was all too brief when Nick Hackman was sin-binned for a high shot.

The makeshift scrum line-up still managed to get a push on that earned a penalty and when they got back down Josh Walton nipped in to score though Megram's effort hit the upright.

The Oldham pack was now in the ascendency and another good platform released Jobson for a third try and as the kick drifted wide Oldham led 20-19.

Bolton were fortunate to get a penalty in front of the posts when they were penalised only for the referee to reverse his decision when the high tackle was not followed by a yellow card and Oldham protested too much.

Megram kicked Oldham back in front but a fine kick from halfway saw the home side lead 25-23 with five minutes to go.

However, Megram was offered one last opportunity - on the very edge of his kicking range - and he landed it.

Bolton threw everything forward and got within inches of the Oldham line until a great steal by man-of-the-match Jobson saw him kick the ball dead and the final whistle sound.