Rams keep unbeaten record intact in thrilling draw at Vestacare Stadium.
After a very impressive victory against Doncaster RLFC last Sunday, the Rams headed across the Pennines for another big clash, this time against high-flying Oldham RLFC at a sweltering Vestacare Stadium.
The match between two of the top sides in the division was a sell-out with a terrific atmosphere from both sets of fans throughout and it was the Rams who got the first points of the afternoon when Paul Sykes successfully converted a goal in front of the Oldham posts after a penalty was awarded for a tip tackle.
The hosts answered back almost immediately with the experienced Patrick Ah Van scoring in the corner. Oldham then extended their lead further when Greg McNally slipped by a would-be Rams tackler to score their second of the afternoon and increase their lead to eight.
This seemed to spark something in the Rams who answered back with two tries either side of the twenty-minute mark, firstly Brad Graham found space in the Oldham defence to score his eighth of the season. Shortly after Jimmy Beckett bulldozed his way through the defence to extend the Rams lead to four points.
Oldham then answered back with two tries of their own before the break, Joe Hartley scored after a cross-field kick wasn’t dealt with properly by the Rams defence and then Zac Baker pounced on a grubber in goal to score and give the home side a six-point lead at the break.
This was soon extended to eight early in the second half when Martyn Ridyard kicked a goal after a penalty awarded for offside and then extended to ten with another Ridyard goal, this time after the referee judged that Paul Sykes had made a late challenge on an Oldham player, for which Sykes was also sin binned.
Even though it wasn’t their finest display of the season, the Rams managed to hang on with twelve and when they back up to full strength scored to bring the game back to within four points. A cross-field kick from Calum Turner wasn’t dealt with and Scotland international Davey Dixon gathered gleefully to get the Rams back on course with a little over ten minutes remaining.
Although time was slipping away with only three minutes remaining, the Rams got themselves great field position and Bailey O’Connor managed to score from a wonderfully worked move, featuring a wonderful pass from Owen Restall. Sykes then converted fantastically under pressure to give the Rams the lead with a little over two minutes remaining.
However, that wasn’t all for this back-and-forth contest, after a short kick-off was collected by an Oldham player but then stripped by Reiss Butterworth, the referee brought the play back and awarded a penalty for a tackle in the air, which Ridyard converted to earn both sides a point a piece.
After the game Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said, “The short version of it is I thought we were lucky to get away with a point today, Oldham were outstanding today and we were up against it not playing our best.
However, in terms of a test of character, digging in and staying close enough to have a crack in the last ten minutes it was a ten out of ten.”
Our next game sees us back at FLAIR Stadium for a clash against London Skolars on Sunday 28th May (15:00).
Oldham RLFC (26): McNally, Hartley, Hirst, Morgan, Ah Van, Ridyard, Paga, Meadows, Wilkinson, Nelmes, Cameron, Baker, Whittel.
Interchanges: Slater, Wilson, Brierley, Moran, Newton (18th)
Tries: Ah Van (8’), McNally (14’), Hartley (29’), Baker (35’)
Conversions: Ridyard (2/4)
Penalty Goals: Ridyard (43’, 57’, 79’)
Dewsbury Rams (26): Restall, Carr, O’Connor, Greensmith, Frewin, Sykes, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, R.Dixon, Garside, Graham, Davies.
Interchanges: D.Dixon, Morris, Ferguson, Walker, Collinson (18th)
Tries: Graham (18’), Beckett (22’), D.Dixon (68’), O’Connor (77’)
Conversions: Sykes (4/4)
Penalty Goal: Sykes (5’)
Yellow Card: Sykes (56’)
