Gallant Oldham sunk by harsh sending-off

Wigton 14, Oldham RUFC 3

RUGBY UNION: A GAME that hinged on the sending-off of full-back Charlie Roscoe saw Oldham make a losing start to their North Lancashire and Cumbria League campaign.

Fate has rarely been kind in the allocation of fixtures to Oldham and with three out of the first four in Cumbria, this season is no exception.

First up was Wigton, a club with a fine tradition but one relegated last season.

After Callum Meagram gave Oldham a 20th-minute lead with a penalty, the incident occurred that changed the game. The Wigton left wing found himself with a narrow overlap five yards from the Oldham line and ran directly at Roscoe, who performed a powerful drive tackle to stop the player and tipped over his much lighter opponent.

New rules this season involving tipping give referees no discretion and the official had to send Roscoe off.

It was then only a matter of time before Wigton’s numerical supremacy told. And in an incident so out of character with the rest of the game, influential prop Jordan McEwan had to leave the field after being stamped on the head in a ruck.

Oldham’s three substitutes – Jack Sayles, Rob Froggatt and Adam Waterhouse – were called into action and each played a big part in keeping Oldham’s line intact for a further 40 minutes before tiredness and exhaustion inevitably set in.