Last updated 11:32, Monday, 01 September 2008

Oldham 40 Workington Town 16: The final hooter which signalled the end of the regular National League Two season couldn't come quick enough for Town at Boundary Park.

Robbed of a hatful of regular performers through injury, beleaguered boss Dave Rotheram must have thought his luck had changed at the visitors stormed to an unlikely 16-0 lead – at a ground at which Oldham haven't been beaten in almost a full calendar year.

It couldn't last, though. Once the home side clicked into gear as the first half drew to a close, the advantage soon evaporated. Town shipped in seven tries without response, with Danny Halliwell particularly enjoying running at a tired defensive line to claim four of those after the break. The centre also knocked over six of his seven conversion attempts to rub salt in the visitors' wounds.

There is now a two-week break before Town's play-off campaign begins and with an injury list currently featuring a whole host of experienced men, the hope will be that Town can get some fresh meat on the bare bones of a squad Rotheram is currently working with.

The match started brightly for Workington, who opened the scoring on seven minutes as third-placed Oldham stumbled out of the blocks.

After being awarded a penalty, a booming kick to touch from Carl Forber went out of play as close to the corner flag as it could possibly get and the quick-thinking Jamie Marshall took a quick tap before plonking the ball over the line as the sleepy home defence stood and watched.

Things soon got better for Town. Oldham, punished three times for offside in the first 17 minutes, conceded a second on the back of one such decision when loose forward Gary Purdham piled through three tackles to score after some neat ball movement.

Forber converted and was teeing up again only four minutes later. A terrific 40-20 kick from the scrum-half set up the position and Jay Duffy's short inside pass found Franco Kmet rushing in, easy as you like, as the Roughyeds' defence parted like the red sea.

Completion rates from both sides were woeful and the game wasn't a good spectacle at all. Once the home side had worked out how to catch the ball, though, they began to exert some pressure and Rob Roberts initiated their victory charge by powering over from dummy-half six minutes before half-time, with Halliwell – who contributed a remarkable 28 points overall – adding the extras.

The centre was in for his first try only five minutes after the restart, cutting inside from the left flank and flying through a gap.

Neil Roden went within inches of adding to Oldham's tally, before a lovely pass from James Coyle created Halliwell's second, the centre's conversion handing Steve Deakin's men the lead, at 18-16, for the first time.

By now the momentum had shifted completely and with players like Jay Duffy clearly out on their feet, Town struggled to contain their big-spending opponents.

A powerful Phil Joseph run saw the forward cross just after the hour and Halliwell completed his hat-trick off another Coyle ball, before Simeon Hoyle darted over 10 minutes from time.

An incident involving Roden then went on report, with the Oldham stand-off claiming to have been bitten.

A superb long Phil Joseph pass set up Halliwell's fourth four minutes from time, but the centre failed to maintain a perfect kicking record by pulling his attempt wide.

MATCH FACTS

Oldham: O'Connor; Cardiss, St Hilaire, Halliwell, Onyango; Roden, Coyle; Sutton, Hoyle, Mervill, Hodson, Robinson, Roberts. Subs: Joseph, Baines, Menzies, Tamghart.

Tries: Roberts (34), Halliwell (45, 54, 67, 76), Joseph (63), Hoyle (70); Goals: Halliwell 6/7

Workington: Duffy; Scott, Routledge, Mossop, Marshall; McCully, Forber; Tunstall, S Burgess, Dobson, Robinson, Kmet, Purdham. Subs: Wilson, Dawes, Blacklock, Benjafield.

Tries: Marshall (7), Purdham (18), Kmet (22); Goals: Forber 2/3.

Ref : Peter Brooke - Hull

Attendance: 904

Star man: Franco Kmet