Oldham make it back-to-back home wins as Dylan Bahamboula and Davis Keillor-Dunn score late on to produce a remarkable comeback against Salford City.
Following Latics’ mid-week defeat away at Cheltenham Town, Harry Kewell made four changes to team with Ian Lawlor, returning to the team after an injury, as well as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Alfie McCalmont and Bobby Grant. Ben Garrity missed out through injury.
Richie Wellens’ side found themselves ahead with nine minutes on the clock, new signing Tom James spotted the run of Ian Henderson and played the ball over the top with the former Rochdale man managing to control before slotting past Lawlor. Harry Clarke gave his best efforts to clear the effort but couldn’t keep the ball from hitting the back of the net.
The Ammies almost extended their level shortly after following great work by Leeds United loanee Robbie Gotts to win possession back off Sido Jombati before switching to Richie Towell and, from outside the box, the midfielder smashed the crossbar before it bounced on the line before being cleared away from the Oldham goal.
Provider nearly turned goalscorer for Salford as Towell slotted the onrushing James clean through on goal, but the right-back watched his effort cannon off the post and into the hands of Lawlor.
Before the interval, Salford had another golden opportunity to double their advantage when Paul Coutts, recently signed on loan from Fleetwood Town, found himself free inside the Latics box from a corner, but he snatched at his chance and went way over the crossbar.
The hosts started the second-half in a much better manner than the first which began with Conor McAleny racing through on goal before being denied by Vaclav Hladky and the goalkeeper managed to keep two efforts from Nicky Adams out from the rebound.
In the 73rd minute, Latics equalised through Dylan Bahamboula. Impressively, Marcel Hilssner blasted a free-kick from 40-yards out which the goalkeeper just about managed to keep out but could only managed to palm it out to the Frenchman on the edge of the area and he smashed a strike into the right-hand bottom corner.
Salford came close to an instant response as they counter-attacked Harry Kewell’s side with Gotts laying the ball to former Latics loanee Jason Lowe, but Borthwick-Jackson bravely blocked the strike before it rebounded out to James and his fierce strike hit the post.
The boys in blue completed the comeback in added time to secure as substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn received the ball outside the box and, confidently, curled an effort past Hladky and into the top corner, making it three goals in four games for himself, to spark jubilant scenes at Boundary Park.
Oldham Athletic XI – Lawlor (GK), H.Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson, Jombati, Grant, Ntambwe (Keillor-Dunn 63’), McAleny, Hilssner, Adams ©, Bahamboula (Piergianni 94’), McCalmont.
Subs – Bilboe (GK), Whelan, Fage, Badan, Da Silva.
Goals: Bahamboula 75’, Keillor-Dunn 90+2’
Salford City XI – Hladky (GK), James (Andrade 94’), Touray (Hunter 94’), Eastham ©, T.Clarke, Turnbull, Towell (Lowe 68’), Threlkeld (Thomas-Asante 81’), Gotts, Coutts, Henderson.
Subs – Evans (GK), Bernard, Burgess.
Goals: Henderson 9’
Referee – Thomas Bramall