ROCHDALE HORNETS 38 OLDHAM RLFC 24

OLDHAM Rugby League Club’s season ended with a seven-try-to-four defeat at the Crown Oil Arena in this Play-Off Eliminator.

Roughyeds gave it everything and led 20-14 early in the second half, but credit Hornets with the spirit and resilience to fight back and to earn another play-off tie against North Wales Crusaders away this weekend.

They did it with four tries in 15 second-half minutes that finally took the game away from a brave Roughyeds, who were beaten by their derby rivals for the third time this year.

It was only with this late surge that Hornets clinched their victory. It was well deserved and it has to be said that the better side won.

Nevertheless, Roughyeds gave them a fright or two along the way, as this scoring sequence indicates.

It went like this: 0-6, 4-6, 10-6, 10-10, 10-12, 14-12, 14-14, 14-20, 20-20, 26-20, 32-20, 36-20, 38-20, 38-24.

The lead changed hands five times until Hornets ran away with it in the later stages which included an unsavoury incident near the end.

Oldham’s young forward Callum Cameron was sin-binned for an illegal incident in midfield, but as he approached the tunnel he was sprayed with water by one of the Hornets substitutes.

The incident escalated into a fully-blown touchline brawl involving players of both sides, some of them trying to pull players apart, but others wading in.

It ended with referee Aaron Moore changing his card for Cameron from yellow to red and issuing a yellow to Hornets forward Fui Fui Moi Moi, but the Rochdale sub who sparked the incident in the first place by showering Cameron with water escaped with no sanction whatsoever.

Graham Starkey, a spectator who once played for both clubs and later coached and managed Oldham, said he would willingly write to the sport’s disciplinary committee to confirm those facts.

Roughyeds scored tries by centre Joe Hartley (2), left-wing Owen Restall -- his 21st of the season -- and full-back Kian Morgan, while Martyn Ridyard landed four goals from six attempts, including a penalty from near half way which gave Oldham a 30th-minute lead at 12-10.

Hornets tries were scored by Ben Forster, Gavin Bennion (2), Cian Tyrer, Greg McNally, Connor Aspey and Rangi Chase, while Tyrer kicked five goals from eight attempts.

HORNETS: McNally; Tyrer, Hitchcox, Brewin, Nixon; Chase, Rush; Moi Moi, Roden, Bennion, Calland, Forster, Killan. Subs: Aspey, Taira, Thomas, Whitehead.

OLDHAM: Morgan; Cooke, Wellington, Hartley, Restall; Ridyard, Hewitt; Nelmes, Butterworth, Spencer, Field, Cameron, Whittel. Subs: Yarrow, Newton, Coventry, Thornton.

Ref, Aaron Moore; HT: 14-12; Pens, 5-6; Att, 735.