Oldham thump York in ruthless Championship opener

Oldham produced an outstanding performance on their return to the Betfred Championship, running in eight tries to beat York Knights 50-4 at Boundary Park.

Matty Ashurst, Jumah Sambou and Kieran Dixon each scored two tries, with Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e and Matty Wildie also crossing, Dixon finishing with a perfect nine out of nine from the kicking tee as Roughyeds started the league campaign with a bang against the much-fancied Knights.

"The scoreline doesn't reflect how tough the game was," head coach Sean Long told Roughyeds TV.

"York are a really good team, they will lick their wounds and come back stronger.

"We can't rest on our laurels though, we know it is a long season and we need to keep getting better and better."

Long suffered a blow close to kick-off when half-back Danny Craven dropped out of the team, Riley Dean called in as 18th man alongside Josh Drinkwater.

But a strong Oldham line-up boasting Super League stars PLT and George Hirst started strongly, and the impressive Ashurst gave Oldham the dream start when he powered over in front of a vocal Joe Royle Stand.

Dixon landed the goal and then added a penalty as the hosts forged an 8-0 lead, York enjoying plenty of the ball but unable to capitalise on a 40-20 from Ata Hingano.

It was arguably against the run of play when Oldham scored a second, Ashurst bursting clear and finding PLT for a 14-0 lead.

The visitors then had a purple patch thanks to three successive penalties and four successive sets on the Oldham line, the dam eventually bursting as winger Joe Brown dived in at the corner.

But that was a good as it got for Mark Applegarth's men as Roughyeds took a stranglehold on the game.

Kieran Dixon scored a magnificent third try as Oldham returned a York kick for a six-pointer, Sambou with impressive work to allow Dixon to scamper free.

And Sambou then scored his own right on the hooter as Oldham went into the break with a 26-4 lead.

Any thought of a York comeback was nipped in the bud straight from the restart as the in-form Sambou scored again as Oldham turned down a kick at goal and opted to run the play instead.

With York's dangerman Hingano in the sin bin, Oldham turned the screw.

Skipper Wildie pounced on an Owen Farnworth offload to score under the posts, Dixon finished off a smart blind-side play for his second and Ashurst ran a fine line to complete a double of his own.

York simply had no answer to the pace and power of an Oldham team playing with a smile on its face, producing a statement victory on their Championship return.

"I don't want the lads to get carried away. We know what we are capable of but we can't drop our standards," said Long.

"When the big games come a long, the leaders step up. That is why we brought them in.

"They talk really well and their game-management is outstanding.

"I could have named five men of the match.

"It was a really good performance and from one to 17 I thought they were outstanding.

"Everyone did their job and tipped in for each other."

Long was able to take off centre Sambou as a precaution after he rolled an ankle, while Wildie took a bang to his chest and will be assessed.

"It was a really strong start," added Ashurst.

"We spoke about making a good start to the season so to start like that is really promising.

"York are a great side so we knew their threats, and to only concede four points is testament to how the lads dug in.

"We are a new team in the league with a lot of new lads, we can get better still but these are promising signs."

Oldham are back at Boundary Park next Sunday to face Batley in round two, with fans urged to snap up their tickets to join the feel-good factor at Boundary Park.

Roughyeds have also learned they will face local rivals Rochdale at home in the 1895 Cup, after the Hornets edged out Swinton Lions 18-16.

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