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Home Sweet Home: Oldham 3-0 Newport

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Finally, A Boundary Park Performance! A cold, wet, grey day for the Oldham Athletic match versus Newport County. The visitors were bottom of the league so far, and their new manager had only been in post a few days. Would this mean they’d come to Boundary Park with nothing to lose and a point to make to their new manager? Or would this be the game that gets Boundary Park rocking? Because we desperately needed to improve our home form. Scrappy Start The first half was scrappy. The ref seemed to be giving them a free kick every time they fell to the floor. Frustrating to watch. A good punch away from Hudson kept the game at 0-0, but we weren’t creating much going forward. Half time couldn’t come quick enough. Let’s hope the team talk puts some fire underneath them for the second half. The Changes That Changed Everything Hannant and Garner were replaced at half time with Drummond and Fondop, and what a breath of fresh air they were! Fondop tussling with their defence, Drummond covering ev...
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A Point Earned: Oldham 0-0 Crewe

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Hudson Heroics Keep Us in the Game What to say about today’s game? First things first – the Remembrance Day reflections and the laying of the wreaths was very touching. The cadets around the ground added to the poignant atmosphere. The ground looked outstanding. But then the football started. Early Warning Signs Eight minutes in and the chants of “Shit ref again, ole ole” were already ringing around Boundary Park. Crewe Alexandra were getting the flow of the game and seemingly getting every free kick decision. Not sure how they weren’t 4 or 5 nil up at half time. Genuinely. If it wasn’t for Matthew Hudson in net, the woodwork, and their poor finishing, they would have been out of sight. Hudson was absolutely immense. Time and time again he kept us in the game when we had no right to still be level. Second Half Fight Whatever Micky said to them at half time, they came out with more fight in them. Joe Garner made a great header that, but for their keeper, would have found the back of the...
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Three Points on the Road: Harrogate 0-1 Oldham

Away Day Adventures in North Yorkshire Harrogate away this weekend, and boy did I know I’d arrived in Harrogate. Stopped at a tea room for a bite to eat before the match. Now, tell me you’re in a tea room in Harrogate without telling me: the person in front of me ordered “a decaf tea with soya milk and a vegan flapjack.” My order? Cup of tea and a bacon butty, please! 1,050 Strong 1,050 Oldham fans packed out the away end at the Wetherby Road stadium. Incredible support. Though I have to mention – 3 ladies toilets for the away fans. THREE. That’s all I’ll say about that. Remembrance Before kick off, both captains laid poppy wreaths to mark Remembrance Day. The Last Post rang out across a silenced ground, followed by a minute’s silence where not a peep was heard. Exquisite atmosphere. These moments matter. Positive Start No changes to the team from the FA Cup win, so we were expecting a strong start. And that’s what we got. We kicked off positively, on the front foot, looking comfortabl...
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Mellon Magic Sends Oldham Into Round Two!

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FA Cup First Round - A Day to Remember at Boundary Park FA Cup first round game day. As I arrived at Boundary Park this afternoon, there was a double rainbow arching over the ground. Is it a good sign? Well, it turns out it absolutely was. A Dream Start Three minutes in and Michael Mellon has scored an absolutely outstanding goal – a bicycle kick, overhead, into the back of the net. Boundary Park erupted. We’re bouncing! But we weren’t done. Straight from the next attack, Mellon has found the back of the net again, chipping it over the keeper with sublime composure. 2-0 up against Northampton within 4 minutes. Will we see a 5-minute hat trick? Because anything seemed possible today with the way the boys were playing. Boundary Park Bouncing 🎶 Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Mellon, Micky Micky Micky Micky Micky Mellon 🎶 The chant was ringing out around Boundary Park. And we seemed to have found a formula that’s suiting us. Not sure what it is – sun shining? 3pm kick off? Don’t...
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Two Points Dropped: Oldham 2-2 Shrewsbury

A Rollercoaster Afternoon at Boundary Park Back at Boundary Park for the 3pm kick off. Is today the day we get back to winning ways? Can we finally find the back of the net? The questions were hanging in the air as kick off approached. Boundary Park was bouncing, the sun was shining, but that wind – absolutely freezing. Still, there was optimism in the air. Surely this was our day. First Half Frustrations We started well, passing the ball nicely, even hitting the crossbar. But here’s the problem that’s becoming all too familiar – we just can’t find the back of the net. We’re creating chances, plenty of them in the first half, but we’re back to wanting to pass it into the goal. Come on, someone, anyone – just have a shot on target! It got to the point where even the half time challenge couldn’t find the net, let alone the gap in the tyre. Sums it up really. Nightmare Start to the Second Half The second half kicked off and I honestly think we were still in the dressing room. Twenty-two s...
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Derby Day Disappointment: Salford 1-0 Oldham

A Frustrating Afternoon at the Peninsula Stadium Wasn’t lucky enough to get a ticket for this one, so settled in to watch the 12:30 kick off on Sky Sports+. What followed was an afternoon of what-ifs and frustration as the Latics fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against our neighbours. Bright Start Turns Sour We started brilliantly. Pett came so close early on, rattling the crossbar with what looked destined to be a stunning opener. That set the tone for what we hoped would be a positive afternoon, but football has a cruel way of punishing you when you don’t take your chances. Salford broke forward and Manny’s tackle earned him a yellow card and gave away a penalty. Harris stepped up and hit the post from the spot – Lady Luck seemed to be on our side for a moment. But they were sharper to the rebound and tucked it away. That’s the difference at this level – you have to be alert to every second ball. Injury Worries Mount Then came another blow. Hannat took a nasty tackle and had to be subbed...
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Oldham 0-0 Barrow: Sunshine, Clean Sheets, and Sky Cameras

Back at Boundary Park for a late kick-off, courtesy of Sky Sports. It was our first game without our captain Tom, who’s sadly out for the season. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tom – you’re already missed. So up steps Tom Pett to take on the captain’s armband. A Rare October Gift Glorious sunshine bathed Boundary Park, which for October is incredibly rare but absolutely stunning. It set the scene for what we hoped would be a memorable afternoon under the cameras. First Half: Good Play, No Finish The first half saw us passing and playing well, building some promising moves. The problem? Once we got to the box, no one seemed willing to pull the trigger. Manny and Will at the back were standing strong, a solid defensive partnership, and with Hudson between the sticks, nothing was getting past us. The frustration was simple – we just couldn’t get it into their net. For a late kick-off on Sky, it was brilliant to see over 7,000 of us there, with a strong contingent of around 500 traveling B...
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