Oldham 22 Sheffield Eagles 24 Barnett back but Barlow's two tries earn Eagles victory

Sheffield Eagles achieved their target of an unbeaten run to the Northern Rail Cup quarter-finals with a 24-22 win against Oldham at Sedgley Park last night.

All eyes were on Eagles' Richie Barnett, back after a two-year drugs ban, but it was the lesser known Sam Barlow and debut-making Irishman John Coleman who earned most of the plaudits.

Barlow crowned a powerful performance with two tries while Coleman emerged the match-winner with a 75th minute penalty.

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The visitors led 12-10 at half-time and they had to come from 22-12 down to snatch victory with tries by Peter Green and Barlow, plus Coleman's conversion and penalty.

Oldham were off to a flying start with early tries by Paul O'Connor and Mark Brocklehurst, the first of which was improved by Mattie Ashe.

Oldham exposed Sheffield's inexperience out wide on their right side to establish early control but the visitors hit back to take the ascendancy, thanks to big forwards like Barlow and another substitute Alex Rowe.

Barlow and Coleman both crossed for first-half tries, each improved by Coleman to give Sheffield their slender interval lead but in the second half they had to do an encore after Oldham had stunned them once more with tries by Neil Roden and Lucas Onyango with Ashe kicking both goals.

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Trailing 22-12 Eagles looked to be heading for their first defeat in the competition until their forwards again smashed a way up the middle for Green to go in, quickly followed by Barlow and then those Coleman goals which made all the difference.

Oldham: O'Connor; Onyango, St Hilaire, Fogerty, Brocklehurst; N Roden, Ashe; Boults, M Roden, Kerr, Heaton; Chandler, Clark. Substitutes: Ellison, Murtza, Robinson, Whitmore.

Sheffield Eagles: Thackeray; Barnett, Yere, Coleman, Burgin; McDonald, Brooks; Hepworth, Cook, Haley, Szostak, Green, Exton. Substitutes: Kesick, Barlow, Mossop, Rowe.

Referee: R Hicks (Oldham)