Latics suffer defeat against local rivals Bolton Wanderers on a freezing cold evening with ten men.
Harry Kewell made two enforced changes to his side following an impressive away win against Carlisle United at the weekend with Conor McAleny and Marcel Hilssner missing out through injury, so they were replaced by Serhat Tasdemir and Raphael Diarra. Additionally, prior to kick-off Cameron Borthwick-Jackson picked up an injury in warm-up and was replaced by Kyle Jameson.
Latics started the clash positively with a few half-chances, the first arrived when Dylan Bahamboula powered his way through down the right-wing but he overhit his cross to Tasdemir at the back post. To add to this, Davis Keillor-Dunn produced great work out wide before delivering to the feet of Tasdemir inside the box, but his effort was blocked by teammate Bobby Grant.
However, Bolton took the lead in the 19th minute as Harry Clarke netted an own goal on his birthday. Gethin Jones drilled a low cross along the face of goal and Clarke, who couldn’t do anything about it, turned it into his own net.
The game turned on his head in the 29th minute when Jameson received a straight red card for a late challenge on former Aston Villa attacker Nathan Delfouneso.
Just before the interval, the Trotters doubled their advantage when former Latics fans favourite, Eoin Doyle fired in from close range. Fellow ex-Latics loanee Dapo Afolayan blasted a strike from outside the area which cannoned off the post and into the path of Doyle and he converted for his 13th goal of the season.
Early in the second-half, Ian Evatt’s side had two good free-kicks from the edge of the box. First, Declan John curled his attempt over the wall, but Ian Lawlor managed to catch the effort before Doyle drilled his set-piece low around the wall, but just past the post.
Marcus Maddison caused Oldham problems when he arrived onto the pitch, his best opportunity saw him race goalwards before trying his luck from the edge of the box, but he dragged his effort well wide.
A positive for Harry Kewell’s side was that Youth Team scholar Harry Vaughan came off the bench for the second time in a week for Latics.
Once again, Maddison found his way in behind as he dribbled down the right before, cleverly, playing across goal but he couldn’t find a teammate.
Substitute Callum Whelan had the boys in blue’s best chance of the second 45 when he picked the ball up outside the area and smashed an effort goalwards, but Matt Gilks was equal to it as the Wanderers saw the game out to make it six wins in six games.
Oldham Athletic – Lawlor (GK), Adams ©, Clarke (Vaughan 84’), Piergianni, Jameson, Diarra, McCalmont (Whelan 69’), Bahamboula, Keillor-Dunn, Tasdemir (Fage 46’), Grant (Ntambwe 46’).
Subs – Bilboe (GK), Blackwood.
Bolton Wanderers – Gilks (GK), Jones, Williams, Almeida Santos, Delfouneso (Maddison 69’), Doyle (Miller 76’), Sarcevic ©, Baptiste, John, Lee (Thomason 61’), Afolayan (Gnahoua 76’).
Subs – Tutte, Isgrove, Jackson.
Goals: Clarke OG 19’, Doyle 39’
Referee – James Oldham