Accrington Stanley vs. Latics

Latics make the short trip across Lancashire to face Accrington Stanley in Sky Bet League Two’s early Saturday kick-off.

Latics head into the game in strong form, unbeaten in their last four league fixtures. Micky Mellon’s side have won two of their last three during that run, including a convincing home victory last weekend.

Newport County were the visitors to Boundary Park last Saturday, where Latics ran out 3–0 winners. After a fairly even first half, Oldham took control after the break and opened the scoring through Josh Hawkes, who reacted quickest to tap home a rebound.

Substitute Joe Quigley doubled the lead with 15 minutes remaining, before Hawkes added his second with a composed left-footed finish to seal an impressive win. The result lifted Latics to 15th in the table, four points off the top seven.

Opposition 

The 2025/26 campaign marks Accrington Stanley’s third consecutive season in League Two following their relegation from League One in 2023. Since dropping down, they have struggled to re-establish themselves, finishing 17th and then 21st last season when they survived relegation by eight points.

This season has been much of the same, with Stanley once again sitting in the bottom half. They enter the weekend in 18th place, just three points above the relegation zone.

Accrington’s most recent outing saw them earn a point away at Crawley Town in a 1-1 draw. Isaac Heath put Stanley ahead inside the opening half-hour, before Crawley equalised in the 65th minute.

Despite their league position, Accrington are currently four games unbeaten, including a 3-1 home win over Bristol Rovers a fortnight ago.

Key Players 

Tyler Walton is Accrington’s top scorer this season with five goals. The versatile attacker can play out wide or through the middle and bagged a brace in the recent victory over Bristol Rovers and remains their biggest goal threat.

Since joining on loan from Everton, Isaac Heath has quickly become a key figure. The 21-year-old typically features on the left flank and is known for his direct running into the box. He has contributed two goals and an assist across his last three matches.

In the Dugout 

Former Wigan Athletic defender John Doolan is the man at the helm for Accrington, having taken over in 2024.

Doolan began his playing career with Knowsley United and Mossley before joining Wigan in 1992. He later represented Barrow, Ashton, and Accrington before retiring and moving into coaching.

He gained experience in the youth setups at both Everton and Liverpool, then returned to Wigan as U18s coach before becoming assistant manager under Uwe Rösler. Spells as Alan Stubbs’ assistant at Hibernian, and later at Rotherham and Wigan, followed.

Doolan joined Accrington as a coach in 2017 and played a key role in the club’s promotion. After a stint as caretaker manager, he was appointed permanently in March 2024 following an impressive interim spell.

Match Officials 

The referee for this fixture is Simon Mather, with assisants Lewis Raper and Mark Ryder. The fourth official is Matthew Scholes.

Match Coverage and Information 

Live audio commentary is available on Latics Player, guiding you through the match as it happens.  

For more information, visit the Latics Player page by clicking here.

Live streaming will be available through Latics Player for supporters who are overseas.

Matchday passes are available for £10, with further details here.

This fixture will be shown exclusively on Sky Sports +.

More info can be found 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.