Oldham are set to make the short trip to face Altrincham with eyes on a return to winning column in National League action.
Latics will be looking for three points this afternoon in a critical encounter with fellow playoff challengers Altrincham, who will look to all but confirm their place in the latter stages of the season.
Athletic maintain their status as one of the most dangerous away sides in the National League, winning 34 points from 20 games is bettered by only three teams. The trip to the J.Davidson Stadium will be their first of three remaining away games.
The Opposition
An important three points gained at Kidderminster in a 3-1-win furthered Altrincham’s chances of a place in this seasons National League playoffs after Chris Conn-Clarke's brace helped the Robin’s come from behind.
Following a poor spell in February that saw the club briefly drop out of those coveted spots, since Altrincham have won five in seven swiftly seeing them back into playoff contention leaving Oldham’s hosts as one of the inform sides in the league.
Interestingly Altrincham have avoided sharing the spoils at the J.Davidson stadium in their last 13 at home meaning there is likely to be a decisive outcome, though there are defensive frailties for Oldham to exploit.
The Robins are without a clean sheet at home in six, however there are no issues with their attacking play, scoring 12 against their last three visiting sides, Oldham will hope to end that run swiftly.
Their record at home meanwhile highlights their consistency. 40 points collected from 21 games ranks fifth in the division, along with their ruthless scoring habits, Latics will have to produce a special performance to halt a firing Altrincham side.
Key Threat
The Northern Irish forward has soared into the spotlight this campaign with his consistency combined with quality leading the way for this Altrincham side.
A brace in Conn-Clarke's latest showcase at the weekend added to his total of now 22 league goals this season, by far his most productive term to date in his career, whilst the opportunity provided to him by boss Phil Parkinson has seen the forward thrive.
The nine goals he scored with the club in the first half of last season was an indicator perhaps ignored at the J.Davidson stadium of his prolific nature in front of goal, though the club have rewarded Conn-Clarke for his patience following several exceptional performances in 23/24.
His display against Ebbsfleet was just one of them, where his three goal contributions aided a thumping 6-1 win. His ability meanwhile to break open cagey affairs and tight encounters may prove to be more valuable at the crux of the season, and something for Oldham to look out for.
In the dugout
Since Parkinson joined the club at the end of the 16/17 season it has been a whirlwind 256 games in charge, whilst the win at Kidderminster was his 100th as Altrincham boss who is in search of a return to the playoffs.
He immediately left his stamp at the J.Davidson stadium, sending the club into the latter stages after finishing fifth before losing out to Chorley in the opening round, whilst improvement in the 19/20 campaign secured a return to the National League for the first time in four years.
Struggles in the following three campaigns have seen Altrincham maintain their place in the fifth tier, but the club have wrestled their way back into contention, now primed for a run at reaching the EFL for the first time in their history under Parkinson’s guidance.
Match coverage and information
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports, with the programme starting at 14:30pm ahead of a 15:00pm kick-off.
Supporters outside of the UK and Ireland will still be able to stream the game through National League TV.
Please note that, as the game has been selected by TNT Sports, it will not be available on National League's streaming service in this country.
Live audio commentary is available on Latics Player, guiding you through the match.
For more information, visit the Latics Player page by clicking here.
Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC
As always, we will endeavour to ensure confirmation of the line-up is published as soon as possible on social media.
However, supporters should note that team sheets in the National League are not exchanged until an hour before kick-off. This is 15 minutes later than in the EFL and as a result, the line-up is likely to be published slightly later than in previous seasons.
