Moran hat-trick reignites Roughyeds charge

Pat Moran scored a hat-trick on his Oldham comeback as the Roughyeds returned to form in style with a 60-6 win at struggling Newcastle to return to the top of League 1.

Sean Long’s side ran in 11 tries including a debut score for new signing Nathan Roebuck, to banish the memory of the recent loss at Keighley and nervy comeback win away to North Wales.

“We stripped it right back, I asked the boys for a reaction and we definitely got that,” said head coach Long, who handed a debut to Roebuck and opted to leave out Ben O’Keefe and Brad Gallagher.

“We had a few lads coming in at the last minute and chopped and changed the team, with some experienced lads missing but this was a step in the right direction.”

Roared on by another sizeable travelling support, Oldham flew out of the blocks as captain Matty Wildie sent the fit-again Moran under the posts, Logan Astley on kicking duties for the day slotting over his first of eight successful conversions.

The same two players combined for a carbon copy moments later and when Danny Craven sent Jay Chapelhow over for an 18-0 lead, Oldham were going along at a point a minute.

Moran crashed over for a first-half hat-trick from Craven’s pass, and Craven then produced his trademark dummy and run to score the fifth.

Roebuck helped himself to a debut try on the half-time hooter as Oldham carved through the Thunder straight from the scrum, Astley converting all six first-half tries for a 36-0 lead.

The second half brought more of the same as the Betfred League 1 top try scorer Cian Tyrer strolled in at the corner, Craven added another and Mackenzie Turner finished off a flowing move.

Prop Craig Kopczak then produced the footwork of a half-back for the try of the match before Newcastle finally forced their way over through Harry Price.

Tyrer had the final say with his 19th of the season as Oldham leapfrogged Keighley back to the top of the table.

“We started the game with more intent and put them in the washing machine straight away,” Long added.

“Pat holds that middle third really well and that sometimes goes unnoticed.

"He got his rewards today.

"It feels like a new signing having Pat back, and next week having Joe Wardle back will feel like another new signing.

“Nathan was really good.

"I thought the try calmed him down, his D was really good and he contested balls, I can’t fault him.

“We have to bank this now in our heads.

"We have spoken a lot about where we need to get to and I was glad to see us defending for the last seven minutes.

"That will make us a better team.”

Oldham: Laulu-Togaga’e, Tyrer, Johnson, Roebuck, Turner, Craven, Astley, J Chapelhow, Wildie, Farnworth, Hirst, Taylor, Moran.

Subs: Aldridge, T Chapelhow, Johnson, Kopczak.

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