Skolars continued their struggles with a nine try defeat at Whitebank. Lost possession and several kicks going straight out into touch meant they were often on the back foot against an Oldham side that is top of the league.
After George Tyson had opened the scoring for the home side, Marcus Elliott, on loan from Hunslet Hawks made a mazy run from deep, but Skolars struggled to make yards attacking up the slope. They defended well for large periods of the first half, but tries for Liam Thompson and Jon Ford, on loan from Salford, put Oldham 18 nil up at the break.
Skolars might have hoped to use the advantage of playing down the slope in the second half, but Oldham pinned them close to their own line. Phil Joy strolled through a gap to score after a drop out and another drop out soon afterwards saw Tyson score his second try.
Skolars kept working in defence with both Elliott and Small making try saving tackles out wide, but when Skolars got possession they lost it early in the tackle count and Ford scored his second try down the right wing.
Small was sin-binned for a high tackle and Oldham scored three tries in five minutes, Ford finishing with four tries, Lewis Palfrey kicking six conversions in all.
The last minute of the game saw Vince Spurr chase his own chip kick, forcing the Oldham full-back to fumble the ball. Spurr scooped up the ball to race to the tryline for a welcome consolation try, with Sam Druce adding the conversion as the final hooter sounded.
OLDHAM
20 Tom Dempsey
4 Steven Neild
17 George Tyson
9 Sam Gee
23 Jon Ford
7 Steven Roper
6 Lewis Palfrey
10 Adam Neal
15 Gareth Owen
8 Phil Joy
11 Josh Crowley
12 Danny Langtree
22 Liam Thompson
Subs (all used)
14 Adam Files
16 Kenny Hughes
22 Nathan Mason
18 Richard Joy
Tries: Tyson (3,51), Thompson (25), Ford (33,64,71,73), Joy (44), Dempsey (76)
Goals: Palfrey 6/9
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Matt Cook
2 Jimmy Morgan
3 Mike Benson
4 Aaron Small
5 Marcus Elliott
6 Vince Spurr
7 Sam Druce
10 David Williams
9 Joel Wicks
16 Dion Chapman
11 Harvey Burnett
12 Will Lovell
19 Will Fairhurst
Subs (all used)
8 Michael Sykes
14 Anthony Cox
15 Olly Bloom
17 Cariern Clement-Pascall
Tries: Spurr (80)
Goals: Druce 1/1
Sin-bin: Small (71) – high tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0. 34-0, 40-0, 44-0, 48-0, 48-6
Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 18-0
Referee: Adam Gill
Attendance: 423
