Coach Naylor pleased with ‘heart’ of side despite pre-season loss at Barrow

OLDHAM RLFC couldn’t follow up their Law Cup triumph at Rochdale with a win at Barrow in their second pre-season run-out.

They went down 16-6, but with four minutes left it was 10-6 and Barrow had enjoyed a 6-1 advantage in the penalty count against an Oldham side that included five trialists, three of whom played the full game.

“We were all heart and that was particularly pleasing,” summed up Roughyeds boss Scott Naylor, who felt conditions were so bad that the game should have been abandoned after about an hour.

Phil Joy, back after shoulder surgery and in his first game since last May, scored Oldham’s only try just before half-time and Paul Crook added the goal.

Oldham’s third and final warm-up match is against Keighley Cougars at the Vestacare Stadium, Limehurst village, on Sunday, January 28 (3pm kick-off) and Roughyeds are hoping fans will turn up in numbers to see Naylor’s men return ‘home’ after two seasons at Stalybridge.