Oldham 24 Sheffield Eagles 54: Eagles blast back from 12-0 down

Sheffield Eagles bounced back from last week's defeat against Swinton Lions with a resounding win at Oldham Roughyeds.
Eagles fight back at Bowr Fold. Photo: Simon HallEagles fight back at Bowr Fold. Photo: Simon Hall
Eagles fight back at Bowr Fold. Photo: Simon Hall

Mark Aston’s side were 12-0 down within 20 minutes but hit back with 48 unanswered points to take the two points from Bower Fold.

The hosts started strongly and Sheffield’s Nathan Chappell was sinbinned for a tactical foul on Keiran Gill as he looked to chip and chase for the hosts.

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And it was Gill who had Oldham ahead with just under 15 minutes gone, intercepting near his own line and running 90 metres to score.

The hosts were keen to make the most of the temporary extra man and Dave Hewitt crashed onto Gareth Owen’s short pass to double the lead.

Sheffield reduced the deficit almost instantly however as, following a mistake from the kick-off, Menzie Yere brought the Eagles onto the board.

And the visitors were within a score just moments later as breaks from Scott Wheeldon and Rob Worrincy were finished off by Quentin Laulu-Togagae.

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Ben Blackmore went over for the Eagles third try in seven minutes from the restart and Cory Aston, having missed the previous two conversions, added the hardest of the three kicks to put the visitors ahead.

Oldham barely made it into Sheffield’s half as Mark Mexico bundled over in the closing stages of the first period and Roughyeds’ full-back Richard Lepori was sent off for fighting.

There was still time for one more Eagles score in the first period as Michael Knowles jumped onto what looked like a knock-on from Worrincy to score.

Michael Ward thought he had Oldham’s third try shortly after the break but the increasingly unpopular referee angered the home fans by only awarding a goaline drop-out.

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Yere broke through multiple tackles to put the result beyond any possible doubt with just under half an hour to go.

Matty Fozard capitalised on another Oldham error to extend the lead further midway through the second half before Chappell latched onto Aston’s long pass to atone for his early yellow card.

Blackmore was stretchered off with just under 15 minutes to go before Elliott Minichella brought the Eagles tally up to just short of a half-century.

Gill and Hewitt completed braces respectively late on but it was the Eagles who would have the final say in the game.

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Steve Thorpe found his way over on the hooter to round off a terrific turnaround for Mark Aston’s side.

Oldham scorers: Gill (14, 76), Hewitt (20, 78) Goals: Palfrey (4/4)

Eagles: Laulu-Togagae; Worrincy, Yere, Chappell, Blackmore; Aston, Minichella; Thorpe, Carlile, Wheeldon;James, Straugher; Knowles. Interchange: Fozard, Tyson, Neal, Mexico.

Scorers: Yere (22, 51), Laulu-Togagae (25), Blackmore (29) Mexico (38), Knowles (39), Fozard (60), Chappell (64), Minichella (72), Thorpe (80) Goals: Aston (7/10)

Referee: Tom Crashley

Attendance: 680