OLDHAM got what they deserved on a day when they looked like a relegation side in a 62-4 defeat at Widnes.

They kicked off – and in the first set of the game, Widnes scored a try by Adam Lawton on the back of a last-tackle kick. They kicked off again – and the Vikings did an encore with a try by left-wing Oliver Brookes.

Two sets, 10-0 down in three minutes, and the only time Roughyeds had touched the ball was to kick-off.

It was as poor as it was unexpected, given that Roughyeds have at least made a fight of it in every game since big-name Brian McDermott came in as coaching consultant eight games ago.

Seven losses and a draw haven’t produced much in the way of points, but the improvements made under McDermott manifested themselves in crowd-pleasing and spirited performances, especially those in defeats by Whitehaven (28-24), London Broncos (30-20) and full-time table-toppers Toulouse Olympique (34-6).

Sadly, those performances were light-years away from the poor stuff Roughyeds dished up at Widnes.

This sorry show was more like pre-McDermott days and the 34-6 home defeat by Whitehaven and the 68-0 defeat at Featherstone Rovers.

What a difference a week makes. Roughyeds at least gave everything they had to give in a 48-10 home defeat by high-flying Featherstone, while under-achievers Widnes went to Whitehaven, used only 15 players and got leathered 64-6.

It produced a public apology, a promise of better things to come and the suggestion that there would be a big response in the Oldham game.

This Widnes side, don’t forget, went into the Roughyeds game only two places higher than Oldham in the Championship table.

You would never have thought so looking at what was happening on the field.

The Vikings brought back four big guns who missed the trip to Cumbria – centre Steve Tyrer, hooker Lewis Hulme, second-rower Shane Grady and loose-forward Matty Smith – and Roughyeds were blown away in the first few minutes when their commitment to tough defence left a lot to be desired.

With second-row pair Lawton and Shane Grady in scintillating form, Vikings scored 11 tries in total – two apiece by Lawton and wingers Brookes and Deon Cross with others by Grady, Connor Aspey, Kenny Baker, Danny Craven and Steve Tyrer.

That’s six by the backs and five by the forwards – proof indeed that the Vikings were in total control all over the field.

Full-back Jack Owens, an accomplished marksman, converted nine of the 11 tries and the men from Merseyside had kept their promise to make amends for their sloppy show on the Cumbrian coast.

Roughyeds made far too many errors to seriously threaten the home line, but they did manage one try just before half-time when Danny Bridge, Dave Hewitt, Harvey Spence and Ryan Ince moved the ball smartly left and winger Ben Holcroft got a free run to score in the corner.

Vikings already had 26 points on the board by then and after that one Oldham try, they never looked back.