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Rochdale Hornets ended their 2026 season with a hard-fought and determined game against rivals Oldham.
During the week, it was announced that Tom Ashton and Jordan Andrade would be retiring from rugby league after the derby clash, and both players received a guard of honour before the game.
Hornets struck first after just three minutes, Jack Hansen’s high kick caused issues for the Oldham defence, and Dan Nixon managed to pluck the ball out of the air for the game’s first try.
Jordan Paga thought he had doubled Hornets’ lead just after the 10-minute mark as he latched on to the end of a loose ball to slice through a gap in the Oldham defence, but he was denied by an offside call in the build-up.
Oldham drew level not long after with Jack Walker profiting from a mistake deep inside the Rochdale half to touch down. Ex-Hornets player Ben O’Keefe missed the kick from out wide.
Twelve minutes before the break, another former Hornets player, Luke Forber, scrambled to score in the corner to put Oldham in front for the first time.
Oldham started to take hold of the game and just minutes later Ben Davies was on the end of a high kick to add his name to the scoresheet. O’Keefe converted from in front of the posts.
Oldham’s fourth try came off the back of Hornets being unable to deal with a loose ball which Forber pounced on to race away for a try. O’Keefe’s kick just about having enough to sneak over the crossbar.
Right on the stroke of half time, Oldham landed Hornets a hammer blow as Matty Ashurst crashed over from close range. O’Keefe converted.
After an error-strewn opening to the second half, the first major talking point of the half came when Oldham's Josh Drinkwater caught Flanagan with a high shot, and narrowly avoided a card.
As tempers started to fray, Oldham’s Ted Chapelhow was shown a yellow card for a late hit, and almost straight away, Hornets took advantage of their extra man as Jack Hansen chased on to the end of a low kick to score. Flanagan added the extras.
Hansen almost had his second try ten minutes from time after Flanagan got Hornets to within 20m of the Oldham line but hesitated at the last moment and was halted by Oldham fullback Walker.
Despite a sustained period of Hornets pressure, they couldn’t make their chances pay, and any lingering hopes of a comeback were finally extinguished five minutes from time as Oldham's Uili Liu burst through the Hornets defence to score. O’Keefe converted.
There was a late consolation for Hornets, as TJ Boyd produced a spectacular length-of-the-field try to reduce the deficit. Ashton looked to mark his final appearance with the conversion, but the ball landed short of the posts as the final hooter sounded.
Rochdale Hornets: Flanagan, Nixon, Ashton, Sa’u, Boyd, Paga, Hansen, Ioane, Whitmore, Barratt, Unsworth, Wood, Syme.
Subs: Dayes, Hatton, Waterworth, Hackney.
Tries: Nixon Hansen, Boyd.
Goals: Flanagan (1/2).
Oldham: Walker, Simm, O’Keefe, Nisbet, L. Forber, Davies, Drinkwater, Lannon, Wildie, Farnworth, Ashurst, Tane Bentley, Irwin.
Subs: T. Forber, Chapelhow, High, Liu.
Tries: Walker, Forber (2), Davies, Ashurst, Liu.
Goals: O’Keefe (4/6).
Sin-bin: Chapelhow.
