Oldham see off Ramsey

Oldham RUFC saw off basement club Ramsey over the weekend, defeating the Isle of Man side 27-19.

With the weather finally settling down, rugby resumed at Manor Park.

Before the game, both teams and spectators paid tribute with a minute’s silence to one of Oldham’s unsung heroes and a true gentleman to all who knew him, Geoffrey Heptonstall. Our condolences go to the entire Heptonstall family.

This weekend saw visitors Ramsey cross the water to challenge the fortress. The Manx visitors arrived full of confidence following their first win of the season against Hoylake — a team Oldham had lost to in their previous outing.

If Oldham expected an easy afternoon based on league position, they were quickly brought back down to earth. The visitors started the stronger of the two sides, with powerful carries immediately putting Oldham on the back foot and gaining valuable territory early on. Oldham defended resolutely, with back-rowers Isaac Dobbs, Josh Semple and Harvey Ward working tirelessly, but the constant barrage of runs and slick handling continued.

Eventually, a high tackle gifted Ramsey a penalty directly in front of the posts from 35 metres. Fortunately for the home side, the kick fell just short — an early let-off.

That miss seemed to spark Oldham into life. Strong carries from Marshall Yates, Dobbs and Semple laid the platform, while half-backs Jordan McEwan and Tom Davies began to dictate play effectively. Oldham were soon awarded a penalty of their own for not rolling away. Well within range for centre Alex Jobson — who recently became the first player in the club’s history to reach 1,000 points — but the strong breeze pushed the kick just wide.

Ramsey raised their intensity once again and forced Oldham deep into their own territory. A stolen lineout inside the Oldham 22 saw the Ramsey captain rise above the defence before charging over for a well-earned try following sustained pressure. The conversion attempt again came up short, leaving the score at Oldham 0–5 Ramsey.

Oldham needed a response, and the try proved to be the wake-up call they required. Pressure built through the back line of Owen Hewson, Louis Fitton and Jobson, but Ramsey’s defence held firm. Davies then opted to clear long, allowing winger Reece Blakeley to chase hard and pin the opposition back. A strong tackle and quick recovery isolated the Ramsey winger, forcing a penalty for holding on.

Following coach Jim Forster’s pre-match advice, Oldham opted for a quick tap. Strong carries from hooker Rhys Jones set the platform before Davies released Dobbs on a barnstorming run through the heart of the defence, shrugging off multiple tackles to score beneath the posts. Jobson added the extras to give Oldham a 7–5 lead.

Now playing with confidence, Oldham continued to make inroads through Semple, Dobbs and Luke Ferrier, with McEwan and Davies pulling the strings. Quick ball allowed Phil Conroy to break down the left touchline, only to be denied by excellent cover defence from the Ramsey full-back. Ramsey’s lineout remained a strong point throughout the match and once again provided them with a solid exit platform.

Choosing to run from deep, Ramsey were quickly met by a well-organised Oldham defence led by Hewson, forcing a handling error. Blakeley again applied pressure, isolating his opposite number and winning another penalty. Oldham repeated the earlier tap-and-go strategy, executing it perfectly as Fitton finished smartly in the corner. Jobson narrowly missed the conversion, sending the teams into half-time with Oldham leading 12–7.

Despite the improved finish to the half, Forster was visibly frustrated with the sluggish opening 30 minutes. The message was clear: complacency had no place, and an early second-half response was essential.

The second half saw Nick Hackman and Corey Kelly introduced, with Hackman making an immediate impact through trademark physical defence alongside Simon Renshaw. However, it was Ramsey who struck first, capitalising on sustained pressure as their loose forward crashed over. The conversion was successful, levelling the scores at 12–12.

The contest had become a real dogfight. Captain Davies nearly broke the deadlock, only to be denied by a superb last-ditch tackle that held him up over the line. Oldham continued to play with ambition, running from deep through Fitton, while Kelly injected real tempo into the game. Sustained pressure in the Ramsey 22 eventually paid off as McEwan sniped over from close range. With Jobson temporarily off, McEwan took over kicking duties but missed the conversion, making it 17–12.

Oldham now took control. Strong forward carries from Hackman, Jones and Paul Wardle laid the foundations, and Davies pinned Ramsey deep with a clever kick. A change in lineout tactics paid dividends when Dobbs disrupted possession, allowing Semple to pounce and power over for Oldham’s fourth try and a bonus point. McEwan converted to extend the lead to 24–12.

With play opening up, Fitton sliced through the defence before Kelly nearly finished a flowing move, only to be tripped inches short. Unfortunately, Kelly landed awkwardly and was forced off with a collarbone injury — we wish him a speedy recovery. Shortly after, Ferrier was flipped beyond the horizontal in a dangerous tackle, resulting in a yellow card for the Ramsey defender. McEwan slotted the penalty to make it 27–12.

Late changes saw Jobson return and young Lewis Ward enter on the wing. Ramsey pressed from the restart and eventually capitalised on a charged-down clearance to score a late try, converting to reduce the deficit. The final whistle followed soon after, confirming a 27–19 victory for Oldham.

A far-from-perfect performance, but the men in red and white will be pleased with the bonus-point win.

Man of the match went to Reece Blakeley, who overcame a shaky start to deliver one of his best performances in an Oldham shirt.