Josh Drinkwater’s clutch touchline conversion with two minutes remaining snatched an 18-18 draw for Oldham against Batley Bulldogs at Boundary Park, preserving the Roughyeds’ unbeaten start to the Betfred Championship season.

The dramatic finish came after Jack Johnson’s hat-trick try in the corner appeared to salvage an unlikely point from a match that had slipped away from Sean Long’s side, who had trailed 18-12 entering the final stages.

“I honestly didn’t think we should have got anything out of that but it shows the character of the team that we will play for the full 80 and almost snatched it at the end,” Long told Roughyeds TV. “I don’t think we respected them enough.”

Johnson opened the scoring early and added a second on the half-time hooter, sandwiching a Riley Dean try that helped Oldham to a 12-12 interval deadlock. But Joe Burton’s second try and a Josh Woods penalty had Batley seemingly in control at 18-12 before Johnson’s late heroics set up Drinkwater’s pressure kick.

The result serves as an early-season reality check following last week’s stunning victory over York, with Long’s depleted side missing captain Matty Wildie through injury and Elijah Taylor through illness. “I don’t know how we found a way to get even one point, so credit to the lads who hung in there and the crowd was right behind us as well,” Long added.

Oldham now turn their attention to 1895 Cup duty and a local derby against Rochdale at Boundary Park next Sunday afternoon.

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