Oldham RUFC battled to a hard-fought 21-21 draw at Sefton on Saturday, continuing their recent resurgence with a performance that showcased the squad’s growing cohesion despite missing several regular starters.

The Merseyside visitors struck first when their number eight powered over from a scrum base, though controversy followed as the referee awarded a penalty try for a high tackle during the scoring motion and sin-binned an Oldham forward. Sefton doubled their advantage moments later, capitalizing on another yellow card to the visitors to stretch their lead to 14-0.

Oldham’s response came through Alex Jobson, who finished a well-worked backs move after Jordan McEwan’s incisive passing created space in the Sefton defense. Jobson converted his own try to narrow the gap to 14-7 at halftime.

The visitors drew level when Josh Semple powered over from close range early in the second half, with Jobson’s conversion tying the scores. Jack Taylor then put Oldham ahead with a spectacular 40-meter dash through three defenders, his head guard-protected barnstorming run giving the visitors a 21-14 lead with Jobson’s third successful conversion.

Sefton refused to yield and crossed for a late try, adding the conversion to level matters at 21-21. With the referee calling last play, Oldham scrum-half Lewis Ward chose discretion and booted the ball into touch to secure the draw.

Captain Nick Hackman earned man-of-the-match honors for his all-round performance, leading a squad that welcomed Lewis Bullen back for his first appearance of the season while coping with the absence of Isaac Dobbs and Louis Fitton. The result marked a significant improvement from earlier in the campaign, when Sefton had comfortably dispatched Oldham at Manor Park.

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