Latics will be looking to get their first win since Boxing Day when they make the short trip to a sold-out Peninsula Stadium on Saturday (3pm KO).
The club will be without the two new additions this month Carl Piergianni and Mani Dieseruvwe, who are ineligible due to the fact they are on loan from the Ammies.
Form Guide
Latics have drawn the last three games and remain winless in six. Salford have been a bit inconsistent of late but will no doubt be boosted by an impressive win against League One side Accrington Stanley in the Leasing.com Trophy in midweek.
The Ammies’ Last Six:
- Grimsby Town 1-0 Salford City
- Salford City 1-2 Walsall
- Salford City 3-0 Port Vale (EFL Trophy)
- Salford City 1-2 Northampton Town
- Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Salford City
- Salford City 2-1 Accrington Stanley (EFL Trophy)
Head-to-Head
The only competitive meeting between the two clubs was last month with Salford winning 4-1 at Boundary Park. This will be the first time the sides have met at the Peninsula Stadium.
League Story So Far
The Ammies have had a steady start to their first ever Football League campaign and as a result sit 13th in the table.
City got off to a great start to the season beating Stevenage 2-0 in front of the Sky Sports cameras but then went seven without a league win.
Since the Ammies’ convincing win at Boundary Park, they have struggled to maintain that level of performance and have only returned one league win.
Salford have shown they are capable of beating anyone in the division and their win against higher division sides such as Accrington Stanley in a crucial game with a trip back to Wembley now one step closer.
Salford are five places and six points better off than Latics in the league.
What We Said
Dino Maamria: "They came here and they beat us and that hurt, that hurt a lot. We have to go there and make sure we do the right thing and show a good performance for the fans because they will turn up in numbers.
"It is a big game for them, it is a big game for us. We’ve seen how heavily they’ve been investing in the last few weeks."
Club Captain David Wheater on his role as captain: "I’ve played a lot of football over the years and there’s a lot of young players here and a lot of foreign lads who have just signed as well so I want to help them. Especially helping the young lads get into the first team."
Jonny Smith after it was confirmed he would be staying on loan at Latics: "From day one the fans have been brilliant with me. Even in the first game when I only came on for 20 minutes, I got four or five messages afterwards saying you're exactly what we needed and that.
"So since then I've just wanted to pay them back and I feel like if I can keep doing what I'm doing towards the end of the season to try and keep them happy."
What They Said
Graham Alexander: "We played there just after Christmas and the following was really good, we got an excellent result so I’m sure the atmosphere on Saturday will be just as good as it was there, and a repeat performance and result would be more than welcome!
"But I’m sure there’s a determination from their side to make sure that’s not the case, and we have to make sure we perform.
"Local derbies are important to everybody, not just supporters but players as well and it gives us a chance to continue our run of form so we’re looking forward to the game."
Courtesy of 'Salford City News'.
Watch Out For
Brandon Thomas-Asante is a name that Latics fans will know only too well after his impressive performance in Salford’s 4-1 win at Boundary Park. The pacey forward caused the Oldham defence problems and got his just reward scoring two goals.
Thomas-Asante joined the Ammies this summer from Ebbsfleet and had to wait for his opportunity in the side; a 24-minute cameo in a 2-0 home defeat to Cheltenham Town was his only action in the first 15 games of the season. He made his first league start in a 1-0 defeat against Exeter City and his first goal came two weeks later in a 3-1 win over Crewe which was shortly followed by a brace at Boundary Park.
A youth product of MK Dons, Thomas-Asante had loan spells with Sutton United and Oxford City before he was allowed to move on a permanent basis to Ebbsfleet. This summer’s transfer north to the Peninsula Stadium marks his return to the Football League.
The 21-year old’s direct approach will make him a problem for any defence at this level and Maamria will know that his side will have to deal with him better this time around if they have any hope of finding that illusive victory.
Familiar Faces
Loanees Carl Piergianni and Mani Dieseruvwe now join the list of players that have played for both clubs along with Ammies duo Cameron Burgess and Adam Rooney. Part-Owner Paul Shcoles also has links to both clubs as after his brief spell as manager at Boundary Park last season.
George Green also has a foot in both camps. The Dewsbury born midfielder started his career with Bradford City before being snapped up by Premier League side Everton. Green would never make an appearance for the Toffees and a loan spell to fellow Merseyside club Tranmere Rovers separated his time at Everton and his time at Oldham.
Following an unsuccessful short spell with Latics, Green went back down the football pyramid where he joined Osset Albion. He did enough in his time there to win a six-month contract with Burnley but Green failed to make an appearance there either despite loan moves to Kilmarnock and Salford City.
Following this, the 24-year-old has played for Viking, Nuneaton Town, Chester FC, Boston United and Gainsborough Trinity.
Stadium
Salford play at the Peninsula Stadium.
The ground which is more commonly known as Moor Lane got its new name for sponsorship reasons. The ground has played host to the Ammies since 1978 but has gone under considerable renovation in the last few years as the club continues to rise through the divisions.
The current record attendance is 4,518, which was set with the visit of Leeds United in the Carabao Cup first round earlier this season.
In The Dugout
In the dugout again will be Graham Alexander.
Alexander started his managerial career with Fleetwood Town and had early success, guiding them to the third tier of English football in his second season in charge but was dismissed in September 2015 following a poor start to the season.
The 48-year old then took over at Scunthorpe United and in his first full season with the club guided them to the Sky Bet League One playoffs but suffered defeat to Millwall in the semi-finals.
His next job was to take over from the popular Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson at Salford. In his first season Salford were promoted via the play-offs taking the club to the highest level that the club has ever played at.
Match Officials
Josh Smith will be the man in charge as Oldham Athletic make the short trip to The Peninsula Stadium to face Salford City in tomorrow’s Sky Bet League Two fixture (3pm KO).
The referee has officiated 19 games this season, brandishing 57 yellow cards as well as five reds, with two of those coming in a single game.
His last Latics fixture was on 10 November 2019 as the club beat non-league Gateshead 2-1 in first round proper of the FA Cup. Three yellow cards were handed out with Dino Maamria’s side receiving all three bookings.
He will be assisted by Kevin Morris and David Avent with Aaron Jackson as the Fourth Official.
Sky Bet Odds
Oldham Athletic are priced at 12/5 to beat Salford City in the Sky Bet League Two fixture.
The hosts are priced at 21/20 and a draw can also be found at 12/5.
Please gamble responsibly, for more information visit: www.begambleaware.org.
How To Follow The Game
If you haven't got a ticket for the fixture, live commentary is available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics with Mike Brown and Roy Butterworth who will be talking you through the match.
The iFollow video match pass is only available for overseas residents.
To subscribe for the fixture, click here.
Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.
