Oldham’s away-day hangover

Photo: -TIM ABRAM-

Oldham’s Joe Hesse is about to feel the force of two Bolton tacklers as he tries to drive his side forward.

RUGBY UNION:

BOLTON 37, OLDHAM 14

TRAILING 20-0 despite displaying early promise, Oldham were never able to get back on terms and were soundly beaten in this North Lancashire and Cumbria League fixture.

The visitors welcomed back Joe Hesse, Robert Froggatt and Luke Roscoe, but injuries forced them into changes in the back line.

After some dogged resistance, Oldham received a boost when the Bolton No. 8 received 10 minutes in the sin bin following a penalty.

This seemed to galvanise the home team, who opened the scoring with a penalty then produced a well-worked try, converted to make it 10-0.

The lead was increased when the Bolton hooker brushed off some poor tackling and ran in from the 22 to score by the posts, the conversion taking the score to 17-0.

When Bolton scored again with a penalty they led 20-0 and Oldham were looking at a long road back.

But the Oldham team is made of stern stuff and showed its character to register a penalty try when Bolton collapsed a maul on their try line. Callum Megram converted to make it 20-7.

Bolton regained the upper hand, though, and sloppy Oldham tackling enabled them to score a converted try beneath the posts.

But the Oldham pack rumbled again, with Adam Waterhouse touching down following a powerful driving maul. Megram converted to make it 27-14 to the hosts.

Oldham entertained hopes of an unlikely victory, but their efforts were quashed by the addition of 10 more Bolton points – a penalty and converted try by their inside centre.