Latics continue their Sky Bet League Two campaign with the long trip down to Devon to take on Exeter City at St James Park (3pm KO).
Last time out, Harry Kewell’s men fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Scunthorpe United, putting an end to a three-game winning run.
Oldham have had a full week’s preparation ahead of the clash whilst Exeter were in EFL Trophy action on Tuesday night against West Brom U21.
Form Guide
The Grecians’ are amongst the form teams in the division and have gone 13 games without a loss in all competitions.
They have lost the fewest amount of games out of everyone in the league with their only defeat coming against Port Vale in September.
Exeter’s impressive early season form sees them in fourth in the table, just one point off an automatic promotion spot.
The Grecians’ last six:
- Exeter City 4-0 West Bromwich Albion U21 (EFL Trophy)
- Bradford City 2-2 Exeter City
- Exeter City 2-1 AFC Fylde (FA Cup)
- Morecambe 2-2 Exeter City
- Exeter City 1-0 Carlisle United
- Leyton Orient 1-1 Exeter City.
Head-to-Head
Latics have won nine of the 31 previous meetings between the two clubs.
The last time they played was in February 2020 with Exeter winning 5-1 at St James Park.
Oldham have failed to win any of the last nine games against Exeter and you have to go back to the 12th of December 2009 for the last time Latics beat Exeter.
Second-half goals from Deane Smalley and Paul Heffernan saw Latics claim all three points in the League One clash.
Team News
In terms of players for selection, Head Coach Harry Kewell has kept his cards close to his chest.
Andrea Badan remains on the treatment table for some time due to his hamstring injury whilst Alfie McCalmont has returned from international duty late in the week so may or may not be available due to fatigue.
Strikers Zak Dearnley and Conor McAleny are both working hard to gain full fitness but are now close to a return.
Watch Out For
Joel Randall has started the season in fine form.
The 21 year-old winger is Exeter’s top scorer with five league goals to his name from 12 League Two matches.
The youngster has been part of the youth set up at Exeter City from under 11s and started a scholarship with the club in 2016.
Randall has had loan spells with Taunton Town, Tiverton Town, Bideford, Weston Super-Mare and Weymouth.
He made his debut for the club in January 2020 and this season has proved to be somewhat of a breakthrough season for him.
A Foot In Both Camps
A link between the two clubs is current Cheltenham Town forward Reuben Reid.
Reid spent a season and a half at Boundary Park, scoring eight goals in 41 appearances whilst notching 22 times in 68 outings as an Exeter City player.
In his career, Reid has represented a wide range of other clubs including; Plymouth Argyle, Rotherham United, West Bromwich Albion and Forest Green Rovers.
The striker scored the opening goal when Latics faced Cheltenham earlier this month, but his side left empty handed thanks to goals from George Blackwood and Harry Clarke.
In The Dugout
Matt Taylor is the man in the dugout for the hosts.
Taylor was given his first job in management in June 2018 replacing the long serving Paul Tisdale at St James’ Park. In his first season, the Grecians’ missed out on a place in the top seven by just one point.
The 38 year-old made over 150 appearances as a player for Exeter and captained the club on the pitch. As well as playing for Exeter, Taylor also played for: Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, Colchester United, Cheltenham Town, Newport County and Bath City.
Stadium
Exeter City play at St James Park. Built in 1904, the ground holds 8,696.
The record attendance is 20984, which came back in 1931 for a 4-2 defeat in the FA Cup sixth round against Sunderland.
St James Park has also played host to England C and the England woman’s team.
Match Officials
The referee this weekend is Stephen Martin.
From Staffordshire the official has taken charge of eight games this season mainly in the Championship, handing out a total of 17 yellow cards.
You have to go all the way back to August 2016 to remember the last time he took charge of a fixture involving Latics.
It was a one-nil win over Bury at Gigg Lane where an early own-goal from Leon Barnett separated the sides.
He will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Robert Merchant with Daniel Lamport being the fourth official.
Sky Bet Odds
Exeter have been made 8/11 favourites to secure maximum points whilst Latics are 16/5 to return to winning ways.
The draw is priced at 14/5.
Please gamble responsibly by clicking here. For more information visit: www.begambleaware.org
This week also marks the start of Safer Gambling Week.
It's the public awareness campaign aiming to trigger a national conversation about what it means to gamble responsibly.
The five key responsible gambling behaviours:
- Only spend what you can afford.
- Set your limits for time and money.
- Gambling is not the answer to any problem.
- Gambling when angry or upset is not a good idea.
- Gambling should not interfere with your personal relationship.
The campaign is led by the key trade associations the Betting and Gambling Council, The Bingo Association, bacta and in Ireland - by the Irish Bookmakers Association.
The objective is to trigger a national conversation about safer gambling, highlighting the tools, advice and help available to customers, and the initiatives being taken by operators and supporters to promote social responsibility throughout the year.
A new website will act as an information hub, providing a comprehensive one-stop service for consumers all year round, educating them about all aspects of responsible gambling.
For more information on Safer Gambling Week 2020 (SGWeek20), click HERE or HERE, and join the conversation on social media @SGWeek20 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #SGWeek20.
How To Follow The Game
Because the game is classed as behind-closed-doors, supporters can tune into a live match stream with commentary available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics, as Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talk you through the action.
This match is available as a live stream for the fee of £10.
Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.