AFTER a lack-lustre win over Midlands last weekend, Roughyeds will be hoping for a big win over winless Newcastle at Boundary Park this Sunday, writes Kasey Smith.

Oldham are currently sat in second place in League One having played a game less than current leaders Keighley.

With it looking like a two horse race for first place, points difference could be all important – with Keighley currently on 218 while Oldham have 212.

Sunday’s game, against a Newcastle side made up of mostly students and former academy players, could be the perfect opportunity to increase the points difference over Keighley, before the two sides meet at the end of the month.

But boss Sean Long knows, after two stuttering wins over Cornwall and Midlands, that his men cannot take anything for granted despite Newcastle having conceded over 60 points on average each game this year.

“We have got to learn that when we have a bit of adversity thrown against us whether it’s an error or a mistake, then we have to come through it better than what we did,” he said.

“We need to find a way of working hard and putting teams under the blowtorch until they crack. I think we are not quite there yet.

“The best was Hunslet by far, but we only scored four tries in the first half, so it just shows you how long it takes to break teams down.”

Long may be forced into more changes at the weekend having lost Joe Wardle through a suspected hamstring injury last Saturday.

However, Pat Moran who has returned to full contact training could return to the side for the first time since the Swinton defeat back in February.