Oldham RUFC’s poor start to the season continued with a comprehensive 27-5 defeat at the hands of an improving Bolton side.

Nevertheless, their performance was hugely superior to the one they showed the previous week at Wigan.

Bolton are a side playing with confidence, willing to run at every opportunity and with considerable experience and talent in the second row, scrum-half and full-back bringing out the best of the promising youngsters in the squad.

After 30 minutes, amazingly the score was still 0-0 despite Bolton having had 90 per cent of the possession and a similar territorial advantage.

Oldham had held firm thanks largely to immense defensive performances by centres Josh Molloy and Josh Watson as they forcefully repelled wave after wave of attacks into the Oldham midfield by Bolton backs and forwards alike.

Oldham had only made two incursions into the Bolton half - firstly losing a lineout on their own throw five metres from the opposition line and secondly, after a long-range attack from their own line and good driving saw them elect to go open when there appeared to be very little defence on the short side.

Bolton upped their efforts and after winning two scrums on Oldham’s feed, created the positions for a converted try and two difficult long- range penalties kicked in a tricky wind with consummate ease by the former National Three player-coach Ross Hayden.

It was a big ask of Oldham to come back from 13-0 down at the break as the confidence and determination of some of the team seemed to have been blown away.

Two further converted tries in the first six minutes of the second half added to the gloom. Second row Louis Critchlow dived over after some fine inter-passing and then number eight, Paul Leigh, created a walk-in with a powerful 20-metre burst from a lineout.

Both centres and second row Greg Higgins off the field injured, and Oldham were looking down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

But, inspired by Jack Taylor, playing the best rugby of his long career, the always- impressive Isaac Dobbs and irrepressible scrum-half Lewis Fitton they enjoyed their best period of the game.

A fine cross kick by Alex Jobson after neat handling, saw both Tom Davies and Reece Blakeley unmarked out wide and Davies was first to pounce for a good try.

Skipper Nick Hackman and front row Reece Jones both went close after powerful charges and good play by Jordan McEwan, but Bolton held firm.

Oldham, despite a growing number of walking wounded, held out to deny them a bonus-point fourth try and special praise went to wingers Phil Conroy and Blakeley who worked overtime covering the field, and back-row Karl Shenton for their efforts.

The man-of-the-match honour went to Taylor for a magnificent all-round display.