Oldham are set to welcome Southend United to Boundary Park in search of momentum in a critical stage of the season.
Micky Mellon’s side showed a strong response to their defeat to Kidderminster last weekend following a 2-1 win at Eastleigh in midweek, sending them back into the top six with the need for points vital in the playoff race.
Joe Garner’s clinical brace at the Silverlake Stadium set Latics well on their course for an impressive three points before Enzio Boldewijn made affairs interesting in the final five minutes of play.
It meanwhile saw their fine away run of form continue, now up to nine, whilst they have only lost once in their last 13 trips in the National League which came back in October.
The Oldham boss will now turn his attention back to defending his home turf, where the Athletic have struggled to gather consistency in recent weeks. Three defeats in their last six at Boundary Park must be addressed with the upcoming visit of the Shrimpers on the horizon.
Latics’ forwards are fit and firing meanwhile, Garner has found the net four times in six appearances since his arrival alongside Mike Fondop who has notched four goals in five with top scorer James Norwood set to return at the weekend.
The Opposition
Southend have turned the corner in recent weeks in the National League and continued in that stead with a colossal 2-1 win over promotion hopefuls Altrincham at Roots Hall on Tuesday evening.
Harry Cardwell and Wesley Fonduck secured a first-half turnaround after Chris Conn-Clarke had put the visitors in front, making that a third consecutive victory and a second successive at home.
Now four unbeaten, Southend have swiftly changed their fortunes after having previously lost three in a row. Their away form is in good vein meanwhile after collecting four points from a possible six in their last two trips.
Southend have won three of their last six on the road, whilst their only two defeats in that run came at two of the top three sides in the National League (Chesterfield, Barnet), with sights on a league double over Latics up next.
Their famous 4-0 win over Oldham on the opening day seems a lifetime ago now, with both sides having come a long way since then. A win meanwhile could leave Southend as an outside playoff bet, with the potential gap being just seven points between the two sides.
Key Threat
Cardwell has the led the line for the Shrimpers in impressive fashion so far this season, netting 14 times in league action, though his form has not always been smooth sailing.
In recent weeks Southend’s talisman has shown glimpses of returning to his best, Cardwell previously had endured a drought in front of goal, spanning 11 games whilst interestingly his lack of goals has shown a tendency of coinciding with defeats.
In seven of those 11, Southend failed to score more than once, proving just how important Cardwell is to his side.
In the 14 games the striker has scored in this season, Southend have found victory nine times, showing when Cardwell scores it tends to lead to three points.
His physical presence and tall frame, makes him a huge problem for any defender with his ability to anchor play and win duels. His finishing and composure meanwhile are not in the lacking department.
Cardwell has shown to be ruthless in between the posts, his header in the win at Woking earlier in the campaign showed his aerial prowess, whilst his composure in the box provides any side with a well-rounded centre forward to deal with.
In the dugout
Kevin Maher has been in a constant search for progress at Roots Hall since his appointment in 2021, guiding Southend to a decent 13th place finish after starting work relatively early in the 21/22 campaign.
The 47-year-old meanwhile saw immediate improvements in his first full season the following campaign, who with a full pre-season under his belt with the players almost reached an impressive playoff berth.
Eighth place saw Southend miss narrowly out on playoff football by just two points last season, whilst his side have collected an impressive sum of points so far this campaign despite receiving a points deduction.
There is optimism that the Shrimpers could make a late push for the playoff places, and if they are to achieve it, Maher would surely put it at the top of his achievements starting with a win at Boundary Park.
Match Details
The referee will be Andrew Humphries, assisted by Alan Hull and Samuel Clayton. The fourth official is set to be Melissa Burgin.
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.
