ROCHDALE HORNETS 34 OLDHAM RLFC 18

BY scoring six tries to Oldham’s three - half of them when down to 12 men in the second half - Hornets earned local bragging rights in comfortable fashion at the Crown Oil Arena on Friday.

It was the first league game between these old derby rivals for almost five years and. for the first half at least, it lived up to its pre-game billing as a derby of two evenly-matched teams “that could go either way.”

It was anyone’s game at the interval with the score locked up at 12-12.

On balance, Roughyeds looking capable of edging a tight game despite their tendency to give away penalties (four in each half, compared with Rochdale’s three overall) and their frustrating habit of coughing up possession with handling errors, often early on in sets.

In that respect, Stu Littler’s men were their own worst enemies, perhaps trying too hard to push the pass that wasn’t on or the offload that caused more mayhem than method.

These traits gifted Hornets loads of extra possession and, especially in the second half, enabled the home side to almost set up base camp in Oldham’s half.

In the first 20 minutes, Oldham were the more dominant side but, maybe sensing that he needed to add more energy and dynamism into his forwards, Hornets boss Matt Calland introduced three of his pack’s elder statesmen off the bench.

Sean Penkywicz, Fui Fui Moi Moi and Joe Taira, veterans all with little change out of 120 years between them, made all the difference in the world.

Penkywicz’s expertise and nous at dummy half, allied to Moi Moi’s strength and bulk and to Taira’s running power tipped the all-important forward battle in Hornets’ favour -- and that was the key that unlocked the game and enabled the home side to get on top.

Having established control where it mattered most, the home side’s half-backs and threequarters took high command.

Rangi Chase, another former Super League star in the twilight of his long career, combined with Penkywicz to boss the second half and to provide Rangi’s half-back partner Lewis Sheridan with the platform on which to reveal his exciting attacking skills.

Sheridan finished with two tries, five goals,18 points, two breaks to set up two tries for full-back Gregg McNally (yet another golden oldie would you believe) and the man-of-the-match award.

Their six tries were all scored by backs; three of them after the 55th minute dismissal of prop Callum Marriott for an alleged head-butt.

Oldham’s big positive was the support play and finishing power of full-back Owen Restall, who scored all three of their tries to take his total in four league games to nine

and to cement his place as Betfred League One’s top try scorer so far.

He will be expected to further enhance his growing reputation when new club Cornwall RLFC come to the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday.

HORNETS: McNally; Tyrer, Calland, O’Keefe, Nixon; Chase, Sheridan; Bennion, Aspey, Marriott, Forster, Baker, Brearley. Subs: Penkywicz, Moi Moi, Taira, Killan.

OLDHAM: Restall; Copland, Hartley, Morgan, Holcroft; Ridyard, Hewitt; Nelmes, Forber, Spencer, Thornton, Ferry, Whittel. Subs: Wright, Newton, Coventry, Astley.