OLDHAM RUFC Ladies had a tough first outing in NC2 NW when they went down 75-10 against a good Trafford MV outfit.

The absence of key players hurt Oldham but they started brightly with Edmundson, Garvey and Hyland all gaining ground; Lawton on point with her rucking, and Howard doing a great job of shipping it around the field.

But Trafford stole the ball 10 metres from the try line and they crossed for the first of several tries in a dominant first half to lead 41-0 at the midway point.

Oldham battled well again after the break and great carries from Procter, captain Wright and Bardsley saw them make good ground without reward.

They defended valiantly against a quick MV counter-attack, and after Edmundson saw the opportunity for the steal, an attack created space for Procter to get Oldham on the board.

It gave them heart despite a missed conversion but MV hit back with two scores of their own.

A tough battle ensued from here, with both sides now having the measure of each other; great play from both teams led to a volley of fine carries and hard hits on each side, with neither quite gaining the upper hand.

Oldham doggedly continued to press, and their forward strength, in combination with the strong and determined Bardsley and Upton, and excellent distribution of Howard, forced a chink in the MV defensive amour.

That chink was well exploited as skipper Wright burst over the line to double her side’s account.

Oldham ultimately lost heavily but they kept fighting hard throughout and while Trafford MV deserved their victory, they had to work hard for it in a match played in the right spirit.

The four Oldham debutants did well and did not let their heads drop on a tough day.