The fierce rivalry between Oldham and Rochdale is set to resume its next chapter when the two sides meet at Boundary Park on Saturday afternoon.
Chris Conn-Clarke's late first half strike was enough to see Altrincham take all three points on East Monday.
Latics will be looking for a repeat of the reverse fixture, which saw Micky Mellon pick up his first win at Oldham boss in a thrillig 4-3 win.
The Opposition
Rochdale’s seven-point deficit to Oldham will sting at least in the short-term though a bigger picture will be at play with the club aching to make a swift return to the EFL.
Their relegation from League Two last season saw Dale make their debut in the National League in 23/24, whilst it has not seen a plain sailing return to England’s fourth tier with the club in 11th.
Devante Rodney’s last gasp equaliser at the Crown Oil Arena against Hartlepool maintained Rochdale’s unbeaten home run which now sits at five, though the Dale have faltered slightly now without a win in their last two after they had previously won three successive games.
Meanwhile boss Jim McNulty will look for improvements on the road, where his side have won just once in their last five with their tendency to start strongly away lacking consistency across a full 90 minutes.
Key Threat
Rodney’s late effort cemented his reemergence to the starting side as a timely one with Rochdale likely to be without leading men Tyrese Sinclair and Kairo Mitchell, who was sent off against Hartlepool.
The forward has endured an injury ridden campaign, either absent through illness or more recently a hamstring injury, Rodney has struggled to gather momentum, though his latest exploits have come in handy.
Just the nine starts this season tells the tale, even so since his return against Solihull, Rodney has netted five times in seven starts adding to the list of potent forwards McNulty has at his disposal.
His effectiveness has hardly been a surprise. The forward notched 11 goals last season and has proven his versatility across the frontline. The onus may well fall upon Rodney’s shoulders once more on Saturday to deliver the goods.
In the dugout
Fresh into the management game, McNulty’s time at Rochdale as a player was certainly well valued. The 39-year-old was teased twice as caretaker boss before being appointed as the club’s first ever permanent head coach ahead of this season.
The now Rochdale manager has shown steady progress in his first audition in the dugout this campaign, and though the goal heading into the fray was playoff football, McNulty has set solid foundations.
Both McNulty and the club will hope to see the nine-point gap to the playoffs vanish next season with any faint hopes of a late run now gone, though a win at their close neighbours would leave a sweet taste with the Rochdale faithful.
Solid at both ends of the pitch, McNulty will look to meet new standards next season, whilst their away record will be one the Rochdale boss will want to improve, what better place to start than their old rivals stomping ground.
Match Details
The referee will be Ruebyn Ricardo, assisted by Jamie Waters and Matthew Malton. The fourth official will be Lee Hible.
Match coverage and information
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 this game is not being played within the blocked broadcast hours stipulated by UEFA, live streaming will be available through National League TV for supporters in the UK and overseas.
Matchday passes are available for £9.50, with further details here.
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.
