OLDHAM’S reward for winning at Workington was to discover, within minutes of finishing their traditional victory chant in the Borough Park dressing room, that Betfred League 1 leaders Whitehaven had crashed to a shock home defeat by North Wales Crusaders five miles down the Cumbrian coast.

“That’s what you call a bonus,” said Roughyeds boss Scott Naylor, in the knowledge his Oldham side was now only one point behind table-topping ‘Haven in the five-club fight for the title and, with it, automatic promotion.

Top RFL official Ralph Rimmer watched the first half at Whitehaven and then dashed up the road to take in the second half at Workington, such was the RFL’s belief this was to be a big day for the spread of rugby league in West Cumbria.

With defeats for the two Ws it did not work out that way, but it was a happy journey home for the Roughyeds who now believe they have a good chance of finishing top, thanks to the form of second-row pair Danny Langtree and Danny Bridge.

Langtree scored two fine tries and fashioned another for full-back Ritche Hawkyard, while Bridge, operating on the other side of the field, gave the Town defence no end of problems and often made plenty of ground.

His links with debutant centre Cameron Leeming and left-winger Harry Maders were a major feature of the Roughyeds’ performance.

There was nothing, however, to match the individual brilliance of Langtree, whose biggest moments came not with his tries in the 16th and 50th minutes, but with his daring break through a packed defence to send in Hawkyard with 10 minutes left to play.

Town had pulled it back from 20-10 to 20-16 and were threatening to snatch the game from out of the fire when ‘Langers’ made his crucial break to set up Hawkyard’s clincher near the end.

Oldham: Hawkyard; Aaronson, McComb, Leeming, Maders; Brook, Hewitt; Joy, Owen, Law, Bridge, Langtree, Bent. Subs: Wlkinson, Spencer, Whittel, Davies.

Workington: Fieldhouse; Mellor, Wellington, Singleton, Bolton; Doran, Penkywicz; Wilkes, O’Donnell, Moimoi, Scholey, Mauding, Dawson.

Subs: Walsh, Curwen, Hopkins, Marwood.

Scorers: Town – tries: Maudling, Singleton, Penkywicz. Goals: Doran (2/3).

Oldham -- tries: Langtree (2), Hewitt, Hawkyard. Goals: Hewitt (5/5).

Referee: Steve Race.