Another two goals from Sam Surridge, as well as Callum Lang and Mohamed Maouche’s first goals for Oldham Athletic secured a comfortable win over Bradford City.
Kai Bruenker did make the game 1-2 at one point, but Oldham had too much quality on the night with a terrific performance.
Latics completely dominated the first half and took the lead on the ten-minute mark through Lang’s first Oldham goal.
Maouche slide it into the box for Surridge who played it across to Lang and he finished into the corner with the help of the Bradford player.
The hosts almost responded immediately as Jack Payne’s corner was met by Nathaniel Knight-Percival, but he could only divert the ball wide.
Frankie Bunn’s men should had had a penalty as Captain Peter Clarke was dragged down as a corner came in, but referee Sebastian Stockbridge waved away the claims.
Latics doubled their lead midway through the half as Maouche got on the scoresheet with an excellent finish.
Dan Gardner had a long-range effort which deflected into Chris O’Grady with Bantams goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell in no man’s land and he squared for Maouche who finished well into the bottom left-hand corner.
Latics did have a let off moments later as Payne nicked the ball off Gardner on the edge of the Oldham penalty area.
The ball made its way to David Ball who dragged his shot wide via a deflection, but from the resulting corner Knight Percival should have scored as he put over a free header from around six-yards out.
Gardner forced a decent save out of O’Donnell as the midfielder took aim from distance with the Bantams goalkeeper pushing it around the post.
Latics could have had a third as O’Grady played a lovely backheel into Surridge and the Bournemouth loanee poked it past O’Donnell, but it stopped on the line and the hosts were able to clear.
The second half had a different feel as Bradford looked to get back into the game and Zeus De La Paz had to be at his best to deny Knight-Percival from yet another corner.
It was always going to be a set piece for Bradford to score and a minute later Bruenker rose highest to head home past De La Paz.
However, Latics restored their two-goal cushion after some superb play from O’Grady down the left hand-side.
O’Grady turned Thomas Isherwood inside out before producing a beautiful cross onto the head of Surridge who wasn’t going to miss with the header.
Surridge should have scored moments later as substitute Jose Baxter found Clarke from a freekick with the Latics Captain heading back across to Surridge who couldn’t direct the header on target.
Latics had their fourth when O’Grady picked up the loose ball and feed Surridge into the box and he cut back inside on his right foot and drilled it beyond O’Donnell.
The striker should have completed the hat-trick with two more chances in the dying minutes of the game.
He collected a long ball from Rob Hunt, before forcing a save out of O’Donnell and then he had another chance which he took around the Bantams goalkeeper before putting it into the side netting.
Latics deserved the win and the scoreline as they get their Checkatrade Trophy campaign off and running.
Bradford City
O’Donnell, Payne, Seedorf (Riley 76’), Bruenker, Knight-Percival, Isherwood, Gibson, Staunton, Goldthorp, Ball (Jones 82’), Wright © (Ellington 86’)
Oldham Athletic
De La Paz, Hamer, Clarke ©, Edmundson, Taylor (Hunt 29’), Maouche, Gardner (Missilou 71’), Lyden (Baxter 45’), Lang, O’Grady, Surridge