Latics are set to take on Maidenhead United at the weekend in search of consecutive league wins with the play-off race heating up.
Oldham will make the trip to Berkshire to face Maidenhead on Saturday afternoon looking to restart some momentum at a crucial stage in the season, their 2-1 win at Boundary Park on Tuesday evening over Boreham Wood saw a crucial turnaround.
Mike Fondop notched his fifth of the season whilst Joe Garner nodded home the winner late on to secure a vital victory that saw Latics back into the top six following a brief rut in form, it also continued a positive trend for this side under Micky Mellon.
It was the third time in nine league games that Oldham have come from behind to take all three points, the other two being Hartlepool and Solihull, seconding Mellon’s fresh view that his side will be a grittier outfit for the foreseeable future.
Athletic will have to do so without top scorer James Norwood, who missed out in midweek, though he can be expected back soon, whilst Andrew Dallas remains out.
The onus will be on Fondop to deliver the goods again in front of goal, whilst Mellon was certainly pleased Garner is off the mark with Latics now just seven points adrift of the automatic playoff places, leading into a period where they face a favourable next five games.
The Opposition
The Magpies meanwhile recently had their brief winning streak snapped at the Shay following a 2-1 defeat to Halifax Town, and in brutal fashion.
Tobi Sho-Silva had clawed Maidenhead level with just over ten minutes to play, but Aaron Crosgrove’s winner deep into injury time saw yet another huge ripple effect in the National League.
Such a defeat does tend to have a detrimental impact on the losing side, whilst this one saw Alan Devonshire’s side slip eight points behind Halifax where the gap could have shrunk to just two with a win, football eh.
It also saw the Magpies suffer successive league defeats for the first time since October and ended their four-game road trip which saw them only come away with one triumph, a 1-0 win at Wealdstone.
This weekend they return to York Road for the first time in over two weeks, highlighting the manic schedule National League sides are currently managing, whilst before the last two Maidenhead were coping well.
Their 1-0 defeat at Boreham saw their three-game unbeaten run come to an end that included an impressive 2-1 win over promotion candidates Solihull Moors, and with Oldham coming to town, Maidenhead will seek to prolong their solid home form.
The side from Berkshire have lost just twice in their last nine at York Road, though they have drawn four times in that run. Scoring goals will be on the agenda meanwhile, having scored just 33, whilst they will look to do so against a tough Oldham side.
Key Threat
Despite the goalscoring issue, Ashley Nathaniel-George has been a shining light from wide left for the Magpies, netting five times this league campaign which is only bested by Reece Smith, with seven.
It would not take you long to realise when watching Maidenhead that a lot of their positive play runs through Nathaniel-George, who seems to be a magnet to the ball when in the final third.
His unique skillset provides a testing opponent for any side, his rapid change of pace, quick feet and sharp passing ability combined causes all sorts of problems for backlines in the National League whilst he has shown to have the end product to match.
The winger’s delightful play in the win against Solihull provides just a glimpse, where he showed strength and technique to wriggle away from two in the centre of the park before finishing with the composure to find Jayden Mitchell-Lawson with a precise pass.
And it's not necessarily his attributes that make him so difficult to contain, it's his attitude. Always willing to go forward and take risks, whilst his direct approach saw him follow play at Wealdstone into the box before receiving and firing a superb finish into the top corner.
In the dugout
The defeat at Halifax was Devonshire’s 305th fixture in charge of the Magpies since he took over at the start of the 15/16 campaign, whilst it took him until his second season to win the National League South title.
It since that moment has been challenging to maintain status in tier one of the fifth division of English football, narrowly avoiding relegation last season by just two points was the most recent reminder of that.
Their best campaign in the National League meanwhile came in the 20/21 season although they finished mid-table, there were some impressive results to go along with it, showing there has been promise under Devonshire.
Maidenhead in that season beat four members of the top seven at least on one occasion, including the league double over Chesterfield and a 4-1 win over runners-up Torquay United. At their best, they are a tricky proposition for any side, and Latics will do well to remember that.
Match Details
The referee will be Ross Martin, accompanied by assistants Craig Green and Lee Hartley. The fourth official will be Stuart Smith.
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 being played within the blocked broadcast hours stipulated by UEFA, live streaming will not be available through National League TV for supporters in the UK. The game will be available 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.
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.