Long trip results in muddy misery

GARETH BARBER . . . attempts to turn things round for Oldham proved to be in vain.

FURNESS 36, OLDHAM 5
RUGBY UNION: AFTER travelling to Cumbria with a much-changed team, Oldham were on the wrong end of a less than flattering scoreline which allowed Furness to leapfrog them in North Lancs and Cumbria Division.

Craig Birch came in at full-back for Oldham, while Phil Graham and Martin Meggison were introduced at centre and Jordan Green took the scrum-half’s shirt.

Furness began with the advantage of the wind and slope and, from the kick-off, camped in Oldham’s half.

Indeed, it took the visitors half an hour to settle by which time Furness had run in three converted tries.

Oldham had just started to get a foothold in the game when the referee sent off second-row man Gary Phelan for throwing a punch after receiving one himself.

Oldham’s seven remaining forwards took control, however.

Paul Wardle, Jamie Edwards and Jordan McEwan controlled the front row, Adam Waterworth and Nick Hackman formed the second and Luke and Jake Roscoe the back row.

However, Furness increased their lead with an unconverted try on half-time to give them a 26-points lead.

Oldham took command after the break but, although the referee awarded them 15 penalties, the home side continually killed the ball or collapsed the rolling maul without any cards being shown.

Having survived some pressure, Furness increased their lead before Oldham finally crossed the line through McEwan after a rolling maul.

Gareth Barber almost produced a second Oldham touchdown, but the ball broke loose and Furness gained possession to score a length-of-the-field try.

This rounded off a sad day for Oldham, whose mood was hardly helped when it was revealed that the home club’s boiler had broken down and there was no hot water with which to get rid of the mud.

This was a long way to travel for a poor game in bad conditions, but Oldham now embark on a run of home matches in which they can pick up vital points in the battle against relegation, particularly if able to repeat their recent display against league leaders Heaton Moor.