Latics vs. Wealdstone

Oldham return to National League action this weekend, as Wealdstone are the visitors at Boundary Park.

It’s been just over two weeks since Latics last played in the National League - a 4-0 win over Boston United at home.

Since then, Micky Mellon’s side were unfortunate to be defeated at the death by League One side Leyton Orient in the FA Cup, before defeat in the FA Trophy and then a National League Cup victory over Blackburn u21s on Tuesday.

Latics will turn their attention back to the league, looking to build on a strong run of form over the past few months that has seen a six-game unbeaten streak. There were four wins from those last six, including consecutive 4-0 victories in their last two league games. It leaves Latics in fifth spot on 37 points, albeit with two games in hand over Barnet and York, respectively. Latics follow Saturday’s game up with a trip to Braintree next Saturday, before a Boxing Day clash with the current league leaders.

Opposition

The current season is Wealdstone’s fifth-straight year in the fifth tier, following their title-winning promotion from the National League South in 2020. Last season, the London outfit finished in 16^th place, four points clear of the relegation zone.

This term, the Stones have struggled to push on and are once again in a battle to preserve their National League status. Wealdstone sit one place above the drop zone in 20th, on goal difference only.

Matt Taylor’s side are on a decent run of form though despite their league position and have gone five league games unbeaten, with big wins away to Aldershot and at home to Rochdale coming in that time. Their last game was six-goal thriller at home to Altrincham which ended 3-3.

 

Key Players

On-loan Latics striker Alex Reid has been a key threat for the Stones with six goals in nine games but will be unavailable this weekend against his parent club. Reid’s strike partner Sam Ashford will be one to watch out for, after also finding the net on six occasions. The former Ayr United and Crawley Town striker can cause problems with his eye for goal.

Adrian Mariappa is a rock at the back for Wealdstone, starting in all-but-one of their league games so far this season. The Jamaican made his name at Watford, making over 300 appearances for the Hornets across two separate spells, spending many seasons in the Premier League with the Hertfordshire side along with time at Reading and Crystal Palace. The 38-year-old joined Wealdstone in the summer and was appointed captain.

In The Dugout

Former Portsmouth, Bolton, and West Ham midfielder Matt Taylor has been in charge of Wealdstone since May, after taking over the reins from interim Sam Cox.

Taylor began his managerial career as caretaker boss of Swindon Town in 2018 before spending a couple of years as manager of Tottenham u18s. Taylor then took up the hot seat at Walsall, winning League One Manager of the Month whilst at the Saddlers, before a bad run saw him dismissed.

The 43-year-old had a brief spell in charge of Shrewsbury before making the move to Wealdstone early this year.

Match Officials

The referee for this game is Sam Purkiss, with assistants Zharir Mustafa and Mark Ryder. The fourth official is Kavan Hurn.

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.  

As this game is being played within the blocked broadcast hours stipulated by Uefa, live streaming will be available through National League TV on DAZN for supporters who are overseas.

Matchday passes are available for £9.99, with further details 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.

 However, supporters should note that team sheets in the National League are exchanged 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.