Promotion-chasing Oldham go second

Oldham leap-frogged Doncaster to go second in Betfred League One thanks to a 40-20 win against fourth-placed Hunslet

Oldham Rugby League Club leap-frogged Doncaster to go second in Betfred League One with a 40-20 win against fourth-placed Hunslet in an emotion-charged humdinger at the Vestacare Stadium.

With one of the best defensive records in the league, Hunslet led 20-18 early in the second half, but they were blown away in the last half-hour when Roughyeds piled on 22 unanswered points to keep intact their unbeaten home record and to enhance promotion prospects.

“I was a bit teary,” said full-back Gregg McNally, who made his 300th career appearance and for whom his team mates formed a guard of honour as he ran on to the pitch at the start of the game.

They had previously presented him with a specially-inscribed replica playing shirt which, he said, would be framed and hung on a wall at home.

The game was also a special one for man-of-the-match winger Patrick Ah Van, whose two tries gave him 1,000 career points, and for club captain Martyn Ridyard, who kicked eight goals from eight attempts - three of them off the touchline.

Try of the game was young centre Connor Carr’s length-of-the-field score for Oldham after he had taken the ball from a Hunslet attacker in a legitimate one-on-one ‘steal’ on his own try line.

In a rousing match, the lead changed hands six times before Oldham pulled away and won comfortably in the end with tries by hooker Matty Wilkinson, winger Joe Hartley, Carr,  Ah Van (2) and forward Zac Baker.

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