PAUL Crook and Adam Neal played key roles in Oldham's 60-28 win in Hertfordshire.

The visitors were expected to win comfortably, but they still had a job to do in order to preserve their play-off push.

They couldn't be faulted for racking up ten tries and 60 points, but did anyone expect one of the best defences in Betfred League 1 to concede 28?

Only leaders Bradford Bulls have accrued more against Roughyeds all season in the league and Hemel Stags are next to bottom.

Stand-off Crook scored 28 points on his own with ten conversions from as many shots and a couple of good tries.

He went into the game needing 11 points to hit the 2,000 mark for his career and it was appropriate that he edged himself over the line by converting his own try in the 29th minute, having already converted three other tries earlier in the game.

Prop Neal returned to the side after three months out with the after-effects of concussion and looked as though he had never been away.

There was a scare for Roughyeds fans when Danny Langtree didn't appear for the second half, he had taken a knock on his sore ribs, but it didn't stop him scoring a couple of tries to take his total for the year to 17 - the best in any given season since the new Oldham club was formed for the start of the 2008 season.

OLDHAM: Johnson; Eccleston, McComb, Reid, Kershaw; Crook, Hewitt; Spencer, Owen, Joy, Rasool, Langtree, Bent; Subs: Nelmes, Davies, Wilkinson, Neal.

Oldham scorers: Goals — Crook 10/10. Tries — Langtree (2), Reid, Hewitt, Crook (2), Spencer, Wilkinson, Kershaw (2).

Referee: Matthew Rossleigh. Att: 109.