Report: Oldham Athletic 0-1 Magpies

It was a Tuesday night to remember in the North West as Shawn McCoulsky hammered home the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Oldham Athletic. 

 

Alan Devonshire made two changes to the side which drew with Hartlepool United on Saturday afternoon. Manny Onariase, unable to play against his parent club over the weekend, returned to the starting line-up, while Joshua Johnson started in midfield. 

 

United got the game underway, but Oldham started the stronger of the two sides. Mike Fondap had an early opportunity, but he was unable to keep his header on target. Likewise, as a result of a free kick due to Casey Pettit’s sliding challenge on the edge of the box, Joe Pritchard curled a shot wide of Craig Ross’ rightside post. 

 

With a quarter of an hour played, Oldham had arguably their best chance of the half when Will Sutton connected with a corner. The Latics player wrapped his hands around his head as his effort clattered the crossbar and out of a play for a goal kick. 

 

A bizarre moment occurred in the 25th minute as Micky Mellon received a circular red card. Following on from a 50/50 decision as to the direction of a throw-in, the Oldham manager refused to give the ball back to Miles Welch-Hayes while he vented his frustrations towards referee Aaron Jackson. As a result of the incident, Mellon was told to watch the rest of the game from the stands. 

 

While the hosts continued to create chances, converting them proved to be troublesome. Josh Kay rattled the advertising hoardings after a well-worked build up with half an hour played, while Tom Pett also fired wide after a strong run into the box. 

 

 

Into the second half, and United tested Oldham ‘keeper Tom Donaghy early on when Tristan Abrahams aimed towards goal on his left foot. 

 

It was around the 60th minute, however, when the game truly began to heat up. A Manny Onariase foul on the edge of the penalty area gave Fondop an opportunity to open the scoring, but the safe hands of Ross - on his way to his third clean sheet in a row - denied the former Magpie. 

 

McCoulsky and Abrahams have linked up on more than one occasion this season to produce a crucial goal, although their counterattack at Boundary Park was almost certainly the furthest down the pitch a pass has been completed. From his own third, the latter played a lobbed pass to the #9, who was left one-on-one with an Oldham defender. As his opponent fell to the ground, McCoulsky ran into the box and fired home past Donaghy to score the winning goal in the 64th minute. 

 

United had the momentum, and McCoulsky nearly made it two with his effort from a tight angle. The shot forced a corner, which Donaghy had to punch out for another set piece, and a hasty Oldham clearance prevented two goals in almost as many minutes. 

 

Oldham needed a result to keep their playoff semi-final hopes alive, and the Latics peppered the United goal for the last 20 minutes. Jake Caprice’s cross was only met with groans from the home crowd as it somehow evaded a goalbound touch, while James Norwood fired a half-volley straight towards Ross. 

 

The Maidenhead stopper once again denied the hosts as Fondop’s downwards header failed to beat Ross, while the former Magpie headed wide for the third time in the game just over a minute later. 

 

Five minutes were added on, and the Latics continued to threaten the United goal. Their efforts proved fruitless, and Maidenhead took all three points home to Berkshire for the first time since November. 

 

 

Oldham Athletic: Donaghy, Kitching, Pett, Fondop, Kay (Norwood, 65’), Rossiter (Lundstram, 71’), Raglan ©, Caprice, Sutton, Pritchard, Leake 

 

Magpies: Ross, de Havilland, Latty-Fairweather, McCoulsky (Barratt, 89’), Ferdinand, Johnson (Cochrane, 90+3’), Pettit (Sho-Silva, 84’), Welch-Hayes, Abrahams (Smith, 74’), Massey ©, Onariase 

 

Attendance: 5,181 (25)