Latics 1-1 Gateshead

The spoils were shared at Boundary Park, as Latics were held to a 1-1 draw by Gateshead. Despite plenty of chances, Latics couldn’t grab a winner following Manny Monthe’s second-half equalizer.

Micky Mellon’s men were looking to bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the season just 48 hours earlier against Aldershot. However, it was the visitors that took the lead ten minutes into the game, when Tyrelle Newton found space outside the Oldham penalty area. Gateshead’s number 23 fired the ball into the bottom left corner to give the Heed the lead.

Rob Elliot’s side began to keep hold of the ball and retain possession after the goal, but Latics came close to levelling in the 27 th minute. A freekick from the right was swung in by Dan Gardner and wasn’t properly cleared, falling at the feet of Charlie Raglan whose shot was deflected through a sea of bodies in the area. It then found its way to Manny Monthe on the edge of the six-yard box, who had a free shot on goal, but Tiernan Brooks was called into action and made a good save from close out.

Despite some Latics pressure towards the end of the first period, it was Gateshead who came closest to finding the second goal of the half. Mark Beck was free in the box and was inches from connecting his head to a cross from the left. It saw the half end with Gateshead in the lead at the break.

Latics started the second half on top and had numerous crosses into the box that almost found a way through. One in particular came from the outside of Gardner’s foot on the right-hand side, with Norwood arriving in the centre and making contact, but he wasn’t able to generate enough power to trouble Brooks.

The equalizer was eventually found in the 55 th minute, when Gardner sent in a freekick from the right. Monthe was johnny-on-the-spot at the back post to turn the ball home for his second goal in the space of a week.

The momentum was with Latics as the hosts pushed for a second. Pressure on Jean Belehouan saw the Gateshead defender play a nervy backpass toward his own goal, which beat his own ‘keeper before bouncing back off the post. The duo of Harry Charsley and substitute Mike Fondop were unable to capitalise as the ball rebounded out, with Brooks smothering the shot before another was deflected for a corner.

From the resulting corner, Uchegbulam manoeuvred his way into space in the six- yard box, beating two men, but his shot from the right could only clip the side netting. Latics continued to heap the pressure on, capitalising on Gateshead’s mistakes when trying to play from the back. One such instance saw Monthe storm forward after picking up the ball in the middle, linking with Uchegbulam on the left before powering into the box and cutting it back for Charsley. His shot was blocked by Kenton Richardson and sent for a corner.

There was another chance for Oldham to go ahead six minutes from time, with another dangerous freekick causing problems for Gateshead. It came out to Monthe of the left, who fired a ball back into the area which was parried by the Gateshead ‘keeper, but Uchegbulam was unable to poke the rebound home.

There were even more opportunities for Oldham, including a goalmouth scramble following a corner from the left side, as well as the visitors having one last chance with a cross that came to Kain Adom in the area, who blaxed over the bar. Latics will feel like they could have taken all three points with the chances they created, but could only come away with one point with the score finishing 1-1.

Oldham Athletic: Hudson, Hobson, Raglan, Monthe; Ogle (Caprice 77), Lundstram, Conlon ©, Gardner (Dolan 68), Uchegbulam; Charsley, Norwood (Fondop 61).

Subs: Moloney (GK), Kitching, Hogan, Fondop (Norwood 61), Dolan (Gardner 68), Caprice (Ogle 77), Hammond.

Gateshead: Brooks, Tinkler, Richardson ©, Belehouan (Storey 67), Hannan, Booty, Colkett (Worman 46), Adom, Newton (Oseni 67), McGowan (Whelan 60), Beck (Allan 76).

Subs: Moss (GK), Butterfield, Storey (Belehouan 67), Allan (Beck 76), Oseni (Newton 67), Whelan (McGowan 60), Worman (Colkett 46).

Attendance: 5,583 (213 away).