Latics conclude their Papa John’s Trophy group stage as they make the short journey to Merseyside to take on Tranmere Rovers tonight (7pm).
Qualification from the group is still up for grabs and Latics will be hoping for a positive result to see them continue onto the knockout stages of the competition.
Last time out, Keith Curle’s men gave a good account of themselves against Sky Bet League One side Ipswich Town, forcing a replay in a 1-1 draw at Portman Road.
Davis Keillor-Dunn was Oldham’s goal scorer in Suffolk.
Form Guide
Fellow Sky Bet League Two outfit Tranmere come into this fixture following a mixed set of results.
Last time out, they won 1-0 at Crawley Town to secure their place in the Second Round of the FA Cup but prior to that had gone three league games without a win, picking up just one point in that run.
However, before that they had won each of their previous four across all competitions, showing that they are capable of putting a string of results together.
They sit in 11th place in the league, just one point away from Harrogate Town in 7th.
No side has been involved in fewer goals this season in the fourth tier with just 22 goals scored and ten conceded in their opening 15 league matches.
Rovers’ Last Six:
- Crawley Town 0-1 Tranmere Rovers (FA Cup)
- Mansfield Town 2-0 Tranmere Rovers
- Tranmere Rovers 0-2 Northampton Town
- Harrogate Town 2-2 Tranmere Rovers
- Carlisle United 0-1 Tranmere Rovers
- Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Colchester
Head-to-Head
Meetings: 91
Latics wins: 36
Tranmere wins: 33
Draws: 22
Scored - 127
Conceded – 129
This will be the second time that the two clubs have met already this season.
The previous encounter came in August in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Latics successfully came back from 2-0 down to take the game to a penalty shootout thanks to a superb goal from Dylan Bahamboula as well as an own goal.
The blues kept their nerve during the shootout to make sure they progressed into the next round where they were rewarded with a tie against Accrington Stanley.
Papa John’s Trophy So Far
Rovers currently top the group following wins over Salford City and Leeds United Under 21s.
The rest are all on three points after one win a piece with Latics beating Salford but coming up short against the young Leeds side.
A reminder if the game is a draw after 90-minutes then a bonus point is decided by penalties.
Keith Curle's team need to avoid defeat by two goals to go through on goal difference/head-to-head at least but is unlikely they can go through as group winners unless it's an emphatic victory by three or more goals.
If succesful the draw for Round Two of the Papa John’s Trophy will take place live on Sky Sports Football on Saturday 13 November after the Port Vale v Bradford City midday kick-off.
Round Two remains split regionally into a Northern and Southern section with group winners drawn at home against a runner-up from another group.
The final group matches take place this week with two Clubs progressing to the last 32 from each group.
Round Two ties will be played week commencing 29 November.
Watch Out For
Callum McManaman netted the winner in Tranmere’s win over Crawley at the weekend and the winger has been a regular feature in the Rovers side since joining in the summer.
Born in Merseyside, McManaman played for Everton at youth level but it was with Wigan Athletic where he made his breakthrough in football.
He netted 18 goals in 133 times for Wigan. In 2015, he joined West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal, but he was unable to replicate the form shown at the DW stadium and he was eventually shipped off to Sunderland via an uneventful loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday.
Whilst on Wearside, he suffered the pain of relegation, with the Black Cats falling into the third tier. He would then move back to Wigan before making the move to Luton Town.
October 2020 saw him leave English football for the first team with Melbourne Victory. He joined up with current side Tranmere ahead of this season.
McManaman was clearly hotly rated as a youngster as he was capped four times at England Under 20 level.
Familiar Faces
There a few familiar faces in the Tranmere squad.
Firstly, Peter Clarke is a former Latic and he enjoyed three good seasons with the club.
The 39-year-old played 124 times for the football club where the centre half scored an impressive 15 times.
Another name that Oldham fans may remember is Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.
The 26-year-old spent a brief spell on loan with Latics from Salford City but he suffered injury issues that limited his game time to just four appearances.
Ground
Prenton Park
Capacity: 16,587
Record Attendance: 24,424
Opened: 1912
Match Officials
The official in the middle for the game is Marc Edwards.
Edwards last officiated a Latics game in February 2020 as we picked up a 1-1 draw against Forest Green Rovers at Boundary Park. On that day, he handed out two yellow cards and zero red cards.
He's taken charge of 11 games, so far, this campaign, handing out a total of 41 yellow cards and one red card.
Edwards will be assisted by Conor Brown and Johnathon Bickerdike, with Billy Smallwood as the Fourth Official.
Sky Bet Odds
Rovers are 4/6 to make it three wins from three in the group stage whilst Latics are at 18/5.
For scores to be level after 90 minutes, 14/5 is the price.
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How To Follow The Game
Live match action on iFollow is available for £10 with Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown who will be talking you through the match.
For more information, visit the iFollow Latics page by clicking here.
Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.