Reserves under the cosh
It was a case of friends reunited for Latics reserves in their opening Central League, West Division match at Shrewsbury Town.The Shrews' side included former Latics' pair Reuben Hazell and Joe Jacobson while Rob Purdie was also present to renew acquaintances.
After an uneventful opening, the match exploded to life as the Shrews took control.
Between the 19th and 28th minutes they scored and could easily have established a five-goal advantage.
Jon Taylor raced through the Latics' defence only to shoot wide while Tom Bradshaw brought a good save from keeper Liam Jacob.
Latics failed to clear thew resulting corner and Taylor smashed home an unstoppable shot from 10 yards low to the left of Jacob.
Taylor ought to have scored again but shot just wide when well placed while Bradshaw was denied by another decent stop from Jacob.
Latics' luck ran out when they conceded a second goal on the half hour.
Jacob did well to push Ryan Doble's drive round the post for a corner, but from the resulting kick centre-half Connor Goldson found the net with a bullet header into the roof of the net.
It was proving one-way traffic as Jacobson then forced an athletic save from Jacob from his well struck free kick.
And it got worse for Latics who conceded a third goal in the 37th minute scored his second of the game with a low shot following a weaving run.
Latics were lucky not to cocede a fourth goal just before the break when Taylor was denied a first half hat trick by a good save from Jacob.
Then from the resulting corner, Goldson's free header missed the target by a whisker.
Half-time: Shrewsbury Town reserves 3, Latics reserves 0.
And it got worse for Latics who conceded a third goal in the 37th minute scored his second of the game with a low shot following a weaving run.
Latics were lucky not to cocede a fourth goal just before the break when Taylor was denied a first half hat trick by a good save from Jacob.
Then from the resulting corner, Goldson's free header missed the target by a whisker.
Half-time: Shrewsbury Town reserves 3, Latics reserves 0.