Despite naming the same starting line up which has performed so well over the recent weeks, keeping 4 clean sheets in 5 games, Latics were undone by individual errors against the Saints at Boundary Park.

Latics had much of the early possession, but were behind after just ten minutes, when Dean Brill got underneath a Lloyd James corner and Hammond easily out jumped Danny Whitaker at the back post to head home from just three yards out.

Latics suffered a further set back direct from the kick off, when Jon Worthington challenged for a 50/50 ball in the Latics half and had to be stretchered from the field in obvious agony, his left leg heavily strapped.

Latics have yet to hear more about Worthington, who is in the Royal Oldham Hospital having x-rays, but it's feared he could have broken his fibular.

Rickie Lambert doubled the Saints lead on with a tame free kick from 40 yards, which was spilled into his own goal by Brill.

The ball had travelled a considerable distance through clear air space and dipped towards the bottom left hand corner of Brill's goal, the keeper down comfortably to collect the ball, before it somehow managed to squirm under his body.

Southampton could have made Latics pay for yet another individual error on 50 minutes when Joe Colbeck dreadful back pass was well stopped by Brill at the feet of N'Diaye.

The ball then bounced to Schneiderlin in acres of space on the edge of the Latics box, but he shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

It was to be the last contribution from Athletic's most recent signing, as he was replaced by Nick Blackman on 56 minutes, the Blackburn loanee having almost having the ideal impact.

Athletic continued to frustrate themselves and the home crowd when they wasted another chance on 65 minutes, Kieran Lee this time the culprit, as he tried to find the perfect ball to Pawel Abbott when a shot was the better option.

Latics finally made their improved second half performance count just moments later, when the impressive Marrow beat his man wide on the Latics left and hit a vicious drive across the keeper, which rolled along the line having hit the base of the post and was tapped home by Abbott.

Seconds after the restart Lambert almost restored Saints 2 goal lead, following a Hazell foul. The initial free kick had bounced back off the Latics wall to the striker who unleashed a fizzing drive, which cannoned off the Latics bar and away to safety.

Having been on the attack for much of the second half Athletic were hit with a sucker punch on 81 minutes, when a lax ball from Marrow wrong footed Dean Furman and was picked up on the edge of the Athletic area by Connelly, the substitute able to comfortably slot home from 10 yards.

The third Saints goal killed Athletics fight and the game drew to a close without any significant efforts on goal, bringing to an end Latics' 5 game unbeaten run and leaving fans frustrated.