OLDHAM 30 HUNSLET 18

WELL, fancy that !

After all the trials and tribulations of the season, with only eight wins and a draw from 20 third-tier league games, Roughyeds are in the play-offs.

At one stage they were eight points behind Hunslet in the scrap for the fifth and final play-off spot, but they were finally getting better by the game and it all came down to this on the last day of the regular season at the Vestacare Stadium.

Hunslet had a slight advantage in that they merely needed a draw to go through.

Littler's lads had to win -- and, wow, didn't they do it in style.

Amazingly, but hasn't that been typical of Littler's "rocks and diamonds" squad in his first season at the club, Roughyeds were awful defensively in the first quarter of an hour or so, and then tackled and worked for each other with tenacious enthusiasm whenever and wherever Hunslet had the ball.

Indeed, both sides defended strongly for most of the game and it speaks volumes for the attacking quality of Oldham and Hunslet that we saw nine tries and nearly 50 points in total.

It was a great game with quality rugby, fierce tackling and with the result in doubt until the last minute.

Teamwork, togetherness, tenacity were the hallmark qualities of Oldham's triumph.

But it would be remiss not to bring attention to left-wing Owen Restall's two exciting. length-of-the-field breakaway tries on the counter attack; full-back Kian Morgan's brilliance under the high ball; scrum-half Dave Hewitt's role in sending in Billy Yarrow and Morgan for second-half tries; Martyn Ridyard's great goals; and, most of all perhaps, the amazing work of Emmerson Whittel at loose-forward.

Best-kept secret of the pre-game build-up was the seriousness of Whittel's rib injuries which he sustained in the previous game against Swinton.

He didn't train all week and he wasn't cleared to play until just before kick-off.

Whittel, though, went through the pain barrier in the Roughyeds' cause and had a blinder in a man-of-the-match performance.

"He knows what we think about him and what he means to the club," said chairman Chris Hamilton.

Soon trailing 10-0, Roughyeds then got their act together and got back into the game when centre Calvin Wellington scored from a kick by Ridyard, who then added the goal for a 6-10 half-time scoreline.

The game was probably won and lost in the first few minutes of the second half when the home side went 18-10 up with tries by hooker Billy Yarrow and Restall, both improved by Ridyard.

After that, both sides scored in turn, two for Hunslet right winger Jack Render and further tries for Oldham by Morgan and Restall.

The big difference was Ridyard's conversions -- five from five attempts against Hunslet's one from four.

TEAM: Morgan; Cooke, Hartley, Wellington, Restall; Ridyard, Hewitt; Nelmes, Butterworth, Spencer, Field, Cameron, Whittel. Subs (all used): Yarrow, Newton, Coventry, Thornton.