Latics welcome Sutton United in a rescheduled fixture for their first competitive meeting at Boundary Park tomorrow evening (7:45pm KO).
John Sheridan's outfit enter the clash in horrid form after Exeter City compounded the 'boys in blue' to their fourth straight defeat in Sky Bet League Two.
Goals from Kyle Taylor and Jevani Brown secured the victory for the Grecians despite Nigel Atangana's red card in added time after a reckless tackle on Christopher Missilou.
Form Guide
Last time out, Sutton were held to a point on home turf by Tranmere Rovers, afellow promotion-chasing side, after Ben Goodliffe opened the scoring in the first-half, Sunderland loanee Josh Hawkes netted an equaliser to the frustration of the hosts.
The U's were left disappointed as they tasted back-to-back league defeats which were inflicted by Swindon Town and Walsall with the long journeys catching up on Matt Gray's men.
A few weeks ago, the Amber and Chocolates made national headlines with their remarkable upset against Wigan Athletic which sealed their place in the Papa John's Trophy final at Wembley.
Their last win in the league occurred when they comfortably overcame an out of form Rochdale at Gander Green Lane.
The U's Last Six:
- Sutton United 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
- Swindon Town 2-1 Sutton United
- Walsall 1-0 Sutton United
- Wigan Athletic 1-1 Sutton United (6-7 on penalties) - Papa John's Trophy
- Sutton United 3-0 Rochdale
- Sutton United 4-1 Scunthorpe United
Head-to-Head
Meetings: 1
Sutton United 1-2 Latics (Saturday 28 August 2021)
Earlier in the campaign, the sides met each other for the first time ever with Latics historically earning their first three points of the season whilst in South London.
In the 62nd minute, David Ajiboye found the back of the net which dampened the spirits amongst the vocal and sold-out away end.
However, the visitors showcased an immense amount of character to produce a remarkable comeback during Gander Green Lane's first taste of hosting an EFL fixture.
Carl Piergianni led by example as the skipper guided his header past former Latics shot-stopper, Dean Bouzanis, and then, Junior Luamba smashed in his first professional goal in the 96th minute to rescue the win.
Watch Out For
Enzio Boldewijn has been massively influential on the pitch for the U's, so far, this campaign.
Born in the Netherlands, Boldewijn began his career in his homeland with stints at Utrecht, Den Bosch and Almere City before making the move to England in May 2014.
The 29-year-old established himself as a fans favourite at Crawley Town whilst receiving a host of interest from teams higher up the pyramid.
A skilful wideman, Boldewijn scored 16 goals in 100 appearances for the West Sussex-based outfit, and then, Notts County swooped in for the services of the Dutchman on an undisclosed fee.
He enjoyed a three-year spell at the Meadow Lane and illustrated his class and ability in the Vanarama National League.
In The Dugout
Matt Gray has earned legendary status amongst the Sutton fans for his work on the touchline at the club.
Gray had spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Cardiff City, Barnet, Hayes and Havant & Waterlooville before hanging his boots due to a variety of injuries at aged 25.
The 40-year-old has developed a host of vital coaching attributes whilst occupying assistant roles at Eastleigh, Aldershot Town and Crawley which stood him in good stead upon his tenure at the Amber and Chocolates.
A calm and collective character, Gray initially started his time in the hot seat on an interim basis before being rewarded with a permanent contract in May 2019.
Since then, he's remarkably led the club to promotion as champions to the EFL and was awarded the National League Manager of the Year for the 2020/21 campaign.
Match Officials
The official in the middle for the game is Marc Edwards.
Edwards last officiated a Latics game in February 2020 for our 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 22 games, so far, this campaign, handing out a total of 71 yellow cards and two red cards.
Edwards will be assisted by Steven Rushton and David Avent, with Paul Marsden as the Fourth Official.
Sky Bet Odds
Sutton are currently 11/10 favourites to win this fixture.
Oldham are 9/4 to refind their form and take a vital step in the right direction to survival.
12/5 is the price on offer for the game to end level.
Please gamble responsibly by clicking here. For more information visit: www.begambleaware.org
How To Follow The Game
Live match action on the £10 'match pass' is available on iFollow Latics in the UK and overseas for supporters who can't attend in person, with Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talking you through the match action.
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.