Oldham 7 - 38 Wigton

Oldham started this game the better of the two sides and were unfortunate not to score in the first 3minutes when the ball went across the line after some good forward drives only to see Andy Gorey held up over the line.

Wigton managed to clear their line after winning the ball in a ruck.  Chris McKenzie took an excellent line out ball. Goodman put a great high ball into the corner but Mike Douthwaite just failed to gather in the corner. Oldham could have been fourteen points up in the first 12 minutes but it was Wigton who scored first. Oldham were penalised just inside their  half for offside at a ruck and David Hanabury kicked deep into the corner.   From the resulting line out the massive Wigton pack trundled over the line for prop Andrew Bell to score in the corner. Chris Pattinson missed the conversion. 0-5

Former Workington rugby league player Tana Manihera was running the show now from behind his pack and only a try saving tackle from Kyle Howard stopped him scoring after a break down the blindside. Oldham had to defend well now and where putting in some bone crunching tackles with Nick Duncan and Joe Hesse to the fore.

Another kick and chase from Gorey put Oldham on the Wigton line but a knock on in the final drive for the line gave Wigton a chance to clear from the resulting scrum. A pick up from the back of the scrum and several forward drives got Wigton into the Oldham half and with Oldham's backs cover tackling they left a gap wide out for centre John Wright to run through unopposed under the posts. He converted his own try. 0-12

After their early dominance Oldham now seemed to be struggling with the pace of the game. Wigton's big and very mobile forwards moved the ball well and despite some desperate defence by Oldham Wigton added to their score with winger Thomas Gardener getting over in the corner. Pattinson converted from the touchline. 0-19

Possession was the name of the game and Oldham could not get their hands on the ball. After 33 minutes prop David Wanning scored in the corner. Wright missed the conversion 0-24

Just before half time Oldham came back at Wigton with a great move along the backs and a kick through for Gareth Barber to tackle the Wigton full back over the line. But despite 5 minutes of continuous pressure, some great drives from Duncan and Ross Cooper Wigton held out till the half time whistle

Jack Taylor replaced Jake Watson at hooker for the second half.

The half time talk certainly geed up Oldham and they started to win more ball in the rucks and were putting Wigton under constant pressure. Wigton started to look vulnerable for the first time since the opening of the first half. The Oldham backs were causing problems and both Barber and Mark Goodman made breaks taking Oldham deep into Wigton's half. From one such move Wigton were penalised and Barber kicked for touch. McKenzie took the ball in the line, the forwards set up a rolling maul with Chris Heptonstall and Paul Wardle making excellent ground before the ball was released to the backs. Barber used his centres as a foil and found Gorey coming into the line from fullback. The well rehearsed move paid off and Gorey scored near the posts. Goodman converted.7-24

Jordan McEwan replaced Paul Wardle at prop after 50 minutes

Oldham were now in the game and continued to put Wigton under pressure. Tempers flared on several occasions and after 60 minutes and Wigton number 8 and Captain Matthew Atkinson should have been given at least a yellow card for punching. The referee gave him a lecture but no further punishment. This proved to be a strange decision as five minutes later he sin binned Oldham's Joe Hesse for a tackle which was nothing more than a shoulder charge.

With 14 men Oldham defended resolutely but the extra man eventually told. Wigton took a scrum against the head, Atkinson, who shouldn't have been sin binned a few minutes earlier, picked up to dive over. Manihera converted. 7-31

New recruit John Nixon replaced Chris McKenzie in the second row

It was now well into injury time and it looked like Oldham were finishing the game on a high . However from a scrum Manihera darted through two defenders before releasing Hanabury who scored under the posts. Manihera converted and the referee blew for full time.7-38

Wigton are by far the best team in the league and are likely to finish as champions so it was no disgrace to lose this game. The score did not reflect how well Oldham played particularly in the second half and the Wigton team said this was the hardest game they had this season. With the return of Chris Heptonstall in the front row for his first game of the season and the McKenzie and Pierre adding their experience the forwards look a more secure unit. Hopefully they will now be able to provide more possession in the games to come to release their backs who are as good as any in this league.