Latics 0-0 Barrow

Oldham were held to a goalless draw at home to Barrow in Saturday night’s League Two action at Boundary Park. 

Micky Mellon’s side had the better of the chances, but weren’t able to find a goal in a scrappy affair. 

Barrow went into the game in good form in League Two, with two wins and a draw in their last three league outings. The away side started strongly and threatened with attacks and corners, but the hosts grew into the game and began creating chances. 

It was Oldham who had the first big chance of the game, when a floated cross towards Joe Quigley in the middle was met by Wyll Stanway. The Barrow ‘keeper could only punch the ball as far as Hannant on the edge of the box, but the Latics midfielder sliced his effort over the top of the crossbar. 

As the half-hour mark closed in, Quigley came close with a shot that just went over the bar. The striker shrugged off a defender on the left side of the penalty area, cutting in on the edge and curling a strike with his right foot that cleared the bar. 

A couple of minutes later, Latics had another chance that narrowly missed the target. Tom Pett’s effort from a short corner trickled through a crowded penalty area and just rolled wide. 

Neither side were able to get a goal and take control of the game, with the score still level at half-time. 

Latics came close to going ahead just one minute after the restart. Michael Mellon found space on the right side of the penalty area, rolling an effort onto the post. 

The ball came out to Quigley, but the striker couldn’t get his shot over the line with a combination of goalkeeper and defenders smothering the ball away. 

Moments later, Barrow had an opportunity when Rekeem Harper rose highest from a corner. His header was inches too high. 

Jake Caprice came on to replace Reagan Ogle and almost found a way through. Stanway’s punch found its way to the full-back, whose low shot just trickled wide of an open goal. 

On the 72^nd minute, the ball was poked through to Mellon who ran on to it in the area. The Latics number 28 slid in to try and steer it round an oncoming Stanway, but the ball went the wrong side of the post. 

With the game entering the last five minutes, Latics almost caught Barrow off-guard with a quick free kick from Ryan Woods. Kai Payne was slipped through, but his effort from a tight angle was deflected wide. 

Latics had a chance to win the game in the closing stages, but the chance went begging. A corner came to Will Sutton at the back post, but the defender couldn’t direct a free header home. 

It was the last chance of the game, with the spoils shared in OL1. 

Oldham Athletic: Hudson; Ogle (Caprice 61’), Sutton, Monthe, Robson; Hannant (Fondop 80’), Woods, Pett ©, Payne; Mellon, Quigley (Garner 73’). 

Unused substitutions: Donaghy (GK), Fondop, Garner, Drummond, Olson, Hammond. 

Barrow AFC: Stanway; Jackson, Raglan, Shipley; Newby, Williams ©, Whitfield (Worrall 79’), Harper; Mahoney (McCann 59’), Fletcher; Gordon. 

Unused substitutions: Winterbottom (GK), Smith, Walker, Cameron.

Attendance: 7,170 (570 away)