Hornets 24 - Oldham 30
The nerves were palpable ahead of this game: Spotland a wound-up, hyper-ventilating, nail-biting cauldron. All the components of your regular Hornets/Oldham derby turned up to eleven and laden with the almost unbearable weight of expectation from both camps. A test of composure - a day for cool heads, smart decisions, leadership and resolve.
What the fevered, near-1,000 crowd got instead was a scrapping, scrambling shit-fight of an error-fest in which Oldham’s enthusiasm proved enough to drag them through to grab their first - and possibly THE most important - derby win this year.
Oldham took an early lead off the back of consecutive penalties - Wilkinson sending Burke through a hole to score under he black dot, Hooley converting. Not the best of starts.
Hornets flickered into life after 11 minutes when Lewis Palfrey found Chris Riley with a looping cut-out pass, the winger showing his class to plant the ball by the flag. No Conversion.
But the comeback was brief. When Hornets defenders made a hash of Hewitt’s steepling kick just three minutes later, Oldham worked Adamson through a retreating defence to score.
Again Hornets hit back, this time Danny Yates’ teasing kick into the in-goal caused chaos in the Oldham defence, Jake Eccleston first to make his mind-up for 8-12. Again, no conversion.
Oldham stretched their lead after Lewis Palfrey was deemed to have knocked on in what looked like a perfectly good tackle and Hornets shipped a penalty from the resulting set. Hooley with the two for 8-14.
Increasingly, Hornets began to force passes with decreasing effect and, with the half hour approaching, broken play in centre field saw Hooley break clear for the visitors only for Mr Hewer to snag Lewis Galbraith for a supposed trip and produce the yellow card. 90 seconds later Oldham did the maths for Clay to score on the end of an outrageous overlap: 8-18.
A disappointing half was capped on 36 minutes when Jono Smith took a nasty head-shot that could well end his season. After lengthy treatment he was taken staggering from the field holding a towel to a badly bleeding nose. Mr Hewer put the incident on report and played on.
Hornets 8-18 down at the break and needing inspiration from somewhere.
Hornets did begin the second half with intent. Ryan Maneely burrowing in from acting half, Palfrey adding the two to close the gap to 14-18. And then the game became a battle of wills.
For 20 minutes both sides probed, pried and found new and interesting ways to toss away possession. For 10 of those minutes Hornets were entrenched in the Oldham 20m zone, but couldn’t find the pass or the kick to unzip a determined Oldham defence. Having jabbed flaccidly at the Oldham line for three or four sets, momentum was lost when Danny Yates fumbled a pass from acting half. The body language said it all.
Off the hook, Oldham marched straight upfield where Burke went crashing over. Hooley on target and Oldham with daylight at 14-24.
Hornets teased briefly when Lewis Galbraith drew defenders before sending Rob Massam in at the corner for an unconverted try to close the gap to six points, but when Lee Mitchell knocked-on 30 metres from his own line, Hewitt went on a mazy run, finding Hooley on his shoulder to score under the posts. Hooley raised the flags to give Oldham the vital points.
At the death, Jo Taira did reach in to grab an unsatisfying consolation try (converted) but it was way too little, way too late - the hooter sounding before play could restart.
This mess of a game was disappointing in pretty much every aspect. Hornets handling at key moments was woeful - and to be out-enthused by Oldham in a local derby on your own patch, unforgiveable. ‘Must-win games’ are called that because you MUST win them - by any means possible. And, on the day, Oldham just wanted this more.
We could analyse every dropped pass, every sloppy tackle and every crap penalty until the cows come home, but what would be the point?
With Swinton somehow grabbing a win at Dewsbury, the concern is now very real - Hornets now clinging to a wafer-thin one-point advantage and a shrivelling points difference: by our calculations, the only team in the shield still without a win in this phase. From sitting in the box seat, we’re now dragged into a straight three-way shoot out with Oldham and Swinton.
Yes, we always knew that staying in the Championship would be a major challenge. And yes, our destiny is still in our own hands. With three games to go, this season no longer just a test of footballing ability - it’s a test of character. For all of us.
The nerves were palpable ahead of this game: Spotland a wound-up, hyper-ventilating, nail-biting cauldron. All the components of your regular Hornets/Oldham derby turned up to eleven and laden with the almost unbearable weight of expectation from both camps. A test of composure - a day for cool heads, smart decisions, leadership and resolve.
What the fevered, near-1,000 crowd got instead was a scrapping, scrambling shit-fight of an error-fest in which Oldham’s enthusiasm proved enough to drag them through to grab their first - and possibly THE most important - derby win this year.
Oldham took an early lead off the back of consecutive penalties - Wilkinson sending Burke through a hole to score under he black dot, Hooley converting. Not the best of starts.
Hornets flickered into life after 11 minutes when Lewis Palfrey found Chris Riley with a looping cut-out pass, the winger showing his class to plant the ball by the flag. No Conversion.
But the comeback was brief. When Hornets defenders made a hash of Hewitt’s steepling kick just three minutes later, Oldham worked Adamson through a retreating defence to score.
Again Hornets hit back, this time Danny Yates’ teasing kick into the in-goal caused chaos in the Oldham defence, Jake Eccleston first to make his mind-up for 8-12. Again, no conversion.
Oldham stretched their lead after Lewis Palfrey was deemed to have knocked on in what looked like a perfectly good tackle and Hornets shipped a penalty from the resulting set. Hooley with the two for 8-14.
Increasingly, Hornets began to force passes with decreasing effect and, with the half hour approaching, broken play in centre field saw Hooley break clear for the visitors only for Mr Hewer to snag Lewis Galbraith for a supposed trip and produce the yellow card. 90 seconds later Oldham did the maths for Clay to score on the end of an outrageous overlap: 8-18.
A disappointing half was capped on 36 minutes when Jono Smith took a nasty head-shot that could well end his season. After lengthy treatment he was taken staggering from the field holding a towel to a badly bleeding nose. Mr Hewer put the incident on report and played on.
Hornets 8-18 down at the break and needing inspiration from somewhere.
Hornets did begin the second half with intent. Ryan Maneely burrowing in from acting half, Palfrey adding the two to close the gap to 14-18. And then the game became a battle of wills.
For 20 minutes both sides probed, pried and found new and interesting ways to toss away possession. For 10 of those minutes Hornets were entrenched in the Oldham 20m zone, but couldn’t find the pass or the kick to unzip a determined Oldham defence. Having jabbed flaccidly at the Oldham line for three or four sets, momentum was lost when Danny Yates fumbled a pass from acting half. The body language said it all.
Off the hook, Oldham marched straight upfield where Burke went crashing over. Hooley on target and Oldham with daylight at 14-24.
Hornets teased briefly when Lewis Galbraith drew defenders before sending Rob Massam in at the corner for an unconverted try to close the gap to six points, but when Lee Mitchell knocked-on 30 metres from his own line, Hewitt went on a mazy run, finding Hooley on his shoulder to score under the posts. Hooley raised the flags to give Oldham the vital points.
At the death, Jo Taira did reach in to grab an unsatisfying consolation try (converted) but it was way too little, way too late - the hooter sounding before play could restart.
This mess of a game was disappointing in pretty much every aspect. Hornets handling at key moments was woeful - and to be out-enthused by Oldham in a local derby on your own patch, unforgiveable. ‘Must-win games’ are called that because you MUST win them - by any means possible. And, on the day, Oldham just wanted this more.
We could analyse every dropped pass, every sloppy tackle and every crap penalty until the cows come home, but what would be the point?
With Swinton somehow grabbing a win at Dewsbury, the concern is now very real - Hornets now clinging to a wafer-thin one-point advantage and a shrivelling points difference: by our calculations, the only team in the shield still without a win in this phase. From sitting in the box seat, we’re now dragged into a straight three-way shoot out with Oldham and Swinton.
Yes, we always knew that staying in the Championship would be a major challenge. And yes, our destiny is still in our own hands. With three games to go, this season no longer just a test of footballing ability - it’s a test of character. For all of us.
