The Championships' day in the sun, the Summer Bash at Bloomfield Road in Blackpool, got underway with the intrigueing derby between Oldham and the Rochdale Hornets. The sides placed eighth and ninth met in the opening fixture with both knowing that a loss could signal the end of any top four aspirations that they were still holding.

A win for ninth placed Rochdale would lift them above Oldham into eighth spot but there was more than just points to play for as local bragging rights were up for grabs. Oldham were clear favourites with the bookies and coach Scott Naylor would be hoping that his side could live up to expectations.

After a scrappy opening five minutes from both sides it was Oldham who openend the scoring on seven minutes when a Scott Leatherbarrow grubber into acres of space was easy for Scott Turner to ground. Leatherbarrow added the conversion for 6-0.

It took just ninety seconds for Rochdale to respond. Jake Eccleston juggled a pass before a basketball pass out to Miles Greenwood to crash over in the corner. Danny Yates was unable to add the extras leaving his side still two adrift.

A punch up on thirteen minutes saw Jovilisi Taira and Richard Lepori sin-binned and Scott Leatherbarrow kicked the penalty to double the Roughyeds lead to 8-4.

It was end-to-end and on nineteen minutes a delightful short pass from Leatherbarrow put Eccleston through on the angle to score. Yates again failed to convert but the sides were tied up.

A disaster in the Rochdale defence with Matthew Hadden failing to make the ball dead in their in-goal areas, allowed George Tyson to ground the bobbling ball with one hand. Leatherbarrow added the conversion and again his side were six ahead after twenty-four.

On twenty-six Richard Lepori, fresh from the sin-bin, took a pass from Jack Spencer to go thirty metres to score. When Leatherbarrow added the extras it was 20-8 and the Roughyeds had some daylight.

Danny Langtree and Lepori linked up on thirty-one for the Oldham full back to take the pass on the Hornets twenty metre line and sprint to the line for his second try in six minutes. Leatherbarrow was again accurate with the boot and at 26-8 Oldham seemed to be building an winning lead.

But on thirty-five Ecclestone got his second of the day taking a short pass from Lewis Palfrey to score from ten metres. Yates again failed to convert with a poor effort on goal leaving Oldham 26-12 up at the break.

Leatherbarrow opened the second half scoring on forty-two with a penalty goal but Rochdale got the first four-pointer when Rob Massam took a Galbraith pass to dive under the winger and score by the left corner flag. Rochdale changed kicker but Palfrey also failed to add the extras.

Rochdale were continuing where they left off in the first half, and on fifty-one Ben Moores pushed his way over the line by the right upright and gave Yates a simple conversion to get his side back within six points at 28-22.

Jordan Case got Rochdale back on level terms when he brilliantly plucked a Palfrey kick from the air to push past two tacklers and drop over the line. The Yates kick made it 28-28 with twenty-three minutes left on the clock. Oldham were rattled having ceded an eighteen point lead.

On the hour, Rochdale went on front when Lewis Galbraith picked up a Leatherbarrow dropped ball to go eighty metres to dive over. Galbraith was hit with the knees in the act of scoring and the video referee gave an eight point try for 36-28 and an incredible turnaround.

A late hit by Danny Langtree on Yates gave Rochdale a gifted two point penalty to go ten points clear.

Oldham had some possession and position in the last ten but couldn’t get over the whitewash to set up a grandstand finish for the increasing crowd.

Frustrations boiled over in the last minute with a mass brawl which resulted in Sam Gee being sent off for Oldham and Danny Yates being sin-binned for Rochdale.

This was the archetypal game of two halves. Oldham totally dominated the first and stretched out an impressive and well deserved 26-12 lead but Rochdale were in total charge in the second to win the half by 26-2 and take the two points which lifts them above Oldham in the table and into eighth spot. Oldham will be wondering how they lost this from such a commanding position, but Rochdale will be delighted in the win.

Roughyeds: Lepori (2T, SB), Clay, Tyson (T), Wood, Turner (T), Leatherbarrow (6G), Owen, Neal, Hughes, Mason, Adamson, Langtree, Spencer. Subs: Ward, Gee (SO), Thompson, Burke.

Hornets: Riley, Greenwood (T), Eccleston (2T), Galbraith (T), Massam (T), Palfrey, Yates (5G, SB), Taira, Maneely, Bennion, Smith, Crowley, Middlehurst. Subs: Moores (T), Mitchell, Hadden, Case (T).

Referee: Liam Moore.

Half-Time: 26-12.

Full-Time: 28-38.

Attendance:.