League leaders prove too strong for gutsy Oldham RU
Oldham RU put up a strong fight against league leaders Wigan but ultimately lost 33-15. Despite missing key players, Oldham showed resilience and defensive strength, scoring two tries in the second half to narrow the gap before Wigan pulled away late in the game.
Wigan maintained their table-topping form with a 33-15 victory over Oldham at Manor Park, though the hosts pushed the league leaders harder than the final score suggests.
Oldham entered the match without Tom Davies and Jack Taylor but welcomed back Dean McEwan and Robert Froggatt, while winger Josh Cinnermanis earned his first start of the season through strong training performances.
Wigan struck first after sustained pressure, crossing under the sticks for an easy conversion. Oldham responded through Alex Jobson’s penalty following excellent work from Sean Carter, Josh Semple, Nick Hackman and Isaac Dobbs that built pressure deep in Wigan territory.
The visitors extended their lead just before halftime when their hooker found space down the right wing, drawing the defender before releasing his winger who fed the supporting fullback for a converted try, making it 14-3 at the break.
Oldham dominated early second-half possession and thought they had scored when McEwan released Froggatt down the left, only for Wigan’s fullback to produce a last-ditch tackle. Wigan countered immediately, their fly-half’s grubber kick taking an unfortunate bounce to gift them their third try.
The home side rallied magnificently. From the kickoff, they forced a Wigan error and marched the league leaders back through relentless forward carries. Lewis Ward spotted a gap from the ruck base to dart through and score under the posts, with Jobson’s conversion making it 10-19.
Oldham’s purple patch continued when Reece Blakeley chased Louis Fitton’s high kick, won the foot race after a neat kick through, and dotted down for their second try, though Jobson narrowly missed the conversion that would have brought them within a point.
At 15-19, Oldham appeared to have taken the lead when the referee awarded them a try, but the decision was reversed for an infringement inside the Wigan 22. The visitors capitalized with two late tries, including a controversial final score where Froggatt appeared to ground the ball in goal but the referee ruled a knock-on, allowing Wigan to pounce on the loose ball.
Josh Semple earned man-of-the-match honors for his tireless efforts in attack and defense, while Cinnermanis impressed on his first start and Jordan McEwan’s defensive work rate caught the eye throughout the contest.
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