O'Hare hat trick vital difference!

Mar 4 2002 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

In the 23rd minute Joe McNicholas finished off in the corner for a try converted by John Braddish and in an instant the tide had turned.

Apart from one promising break from lively substitute Darren Turner, the remainder of the half belonged to Oldham.

A Braddish penalty five minutes before the interval reduced the deficit to six points, and a the prospect of a thrilling second half was on the cards.

And the fans were not to be disappointed.

When Gene, Thorman and Ben Cooper combined to put winger Matthew Whittaker over in the corner for a try superbly converted by Thorman, Huddersfield seemed to be back in the driving seat.

Once again, however, Oldham refused to wave the white flag.

Within three minutes Neil Roden had burst through some wafer-thin defence to grab a converted score and three minutes later McNicholas was celebrating his second.

At 20-18 the match was wide open and nerves were starting to jangle.

But the home fans who made up the vast majority of the crowd in a season's best attendance of 3,191 needn't have worried.

In the final 20 minutes, the Giants began to regain control, with the likes of non-stop forwards Dave Atkins, Roberts and Paul March finally wearing down their opposite numbers.

With eight minutes remaining Thorman landed a penalty following a good March break, and two minutes later the home side scored the final try to end Oldham's brave resistance.

Roberts' well-timed pass sent Thorman charging to the line and, despite being half-tackled, he had enough strength to maintain the attack and feed Eorl Crabtree to crash over in the corner.

Thorman landed the conversion and the points were in the bag.

The first hurdle in the crucial month of March had been overcome.

But the hardest are still to come.

MATCH FACTS

Huddersfield Giants - Reilly; O'Hare, Gene, Cooper, Whittaker; McNamara (Moxon 75mins), Thorman; Wittenberg (Molyneux 26mins, Walker 45mins), March (Wittenberg 72mins), Walker (Turner 19mins), Hayes (Crabtree 40mins), Roberts, Atkins.

Tries - O'Hare (6mins, 11mins, 19mins), Whittaker (43mins), Crabtree (74mins).

Goals - Thorman 4 from 6.

Oldham - Sibson; Dodd, Gibbons (A), Goddard (Cowell 77mins), McNicholas; Braddish, Roden (Barber 68mins); Clegg (Guest 28mins), Hough, Norton (Clegg 72mins), Doran, Gibbons (D), Farrell.

Tries - McNicholas (23mins & 49mins), Roden (46mins).

Goals - Braddish 3 from 4.

Half-time - 14-8.

Referee - P Taberner (Wigan).

Attendance - 3,191.

Scrums won - Huddersfield 11, Oldham 11.

Penalties conceded - Huddersfield 7, Oldham 8.

Top Huddersfield tacklers - Atkins 26, March 24, McNamara 24, Roberts 22, Turner 22.

Next game - Away to Hull KR next Sunday (3.00).