Oldham Roughyeds 18 - 28 Rochdale Hornets

At Whitebank on Good Friday, Hornets were the better side when it counted most.

Roughyeds battled back from 0-16 down to lead 18-16 before succumbing in the last quarter of an hour.

Hornets clinched it, perhaps appropriately, with the final act of Paul Crook’s aerial bombardment that had challenged Mo Agoro’s nerve.

Agoro lost the ball as he hit the ground while trying to launch a counter attack, presenting Hornets centre Dave Hull with the easiest of killer blows to put the issue beyond doubt.

Hornets chose to go left every time and hit shell-shocked Oldham wide out on the right with tries by Roper, Wayne English and Chris Baines inside the opening half hour.

Scrambling defence twice denied Hornets’ impressive hooker Alex McClurg, but there were near misses at the other end too.

But Hornets kept their composure, capitalised on costly errors by Palfrey and Agoro and took the game out of the Roughyeds’ reach with late tries by prop Joe Bate and centre Hull.