Roughyeds gearing up for Workington test

Key man Martyn Ridyard, who missed Oldham's game against Cornwall because of injury, hopes to be back for this Sunday’s tough and equally-matched game at Workington.

Oldham beat Cornwall 36-16 without their captain, ace goalkicker, calming influence, chief tactical authority and the man his team mates look to for guidance, but he was on the touchline as a member of the game-day backroom staff and he spoke positively afterwards about his chances of playing at Derwent Park.

“I feel okay now. At a pinch I could have played today, but Stu (head coach Stuart Littler) felt I would benefit from another day off,” said ‘Riddy’, whose goalkicking could prove invaluable if it’s as tight a game as many expect.

The same could be said of Town’s Ciaran Walker, who has actually kicked three more league goals than the Oldham man, 26 against 23.

Walker is equal second in the league charts with Doncaster’s Connor Robinson, six goals behind the leader, Dewsbury Rams veteran Paul Sykes.

Ridyard is currently fourth in the list with 23, but Oldham fans are only too well aware of how reliable he is and how crucial goalkicking can be in a tight game.

If he plays on Sunday, the relative goal-kicking success of Ridyard and Walker could determine which side comes out on top.

The league’s top five try scorers produces similar scoring rivalry between Oldham's very own half-back Jordan Paga and Workington winger Sean Sabutey, who are joint fourth in the charts with seven tries, two fewer than Dewsbury’s Owen Restall and one down on Sam Smeaton of Doncaster and Perry Whiteley of Dewsbury Rams.

Sabutey, in fact, was named League One player of the month recently for his outstanding performances at this level, having arrived from his native Australia, aged 24.

“He’s scored some fantastic tries and he deserves all the recognition he gets,” says Town coach Anthony Murray, the former Oldham half-back.

The young Aussie will clearly be a threat, yet Oldham can take great heart from the respective for-and-against figures.

Despite having played five games to the Cumbrian side’s six, Littler’s lionhearts have scored 194 points to Town’s 157.

The defensive figure is even more revealing, Roughyeds having conceded 80 points to the home side’s 161.

While the Cumbrians were going down 46-6 at Doncaster last Sunday, Oldham’s seven-try win against a plucky Cornwall outfit enabled them to leapfrog Town into third place, so this Sunday it’s 3 v 4 at Derwent Park and 1 v 2, Dewsbury Rams v Doncaster at the Flair Stadium.

Seven days later, the Rams come to the Vestacare Stadium and such could be the importance of Workington away and then Dewsbury at home, in terms of momentum, confidence and composure going forward, that Roughyeds have announced free-for-all admission in the hope of pulling in a full house and creating a stadium that’s rocking.

Both games have all the makings of being cracking encounters.

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