Biblical Rain and Beautiful Football: Cheltenham Conquered

The Great Saturday Dash (And Essential Travel Snacks)

300-mile round trip to Cheltenham today, but not before a mad dash from Odie’s under-12s game in Bury! Nothing like a bit of Saturday football chaos to get the adrenaline pumping before the main event.

Worth every minute of rushing about though, especially for those precious cuddles with Max the assistance dog (with permission from his owner John, of course!). Sometimes the pre-match highlights are just as important as the 90 minutes that follow.

Essential Travel Snacks Check:

• ✅ Bag of Haribo Tangfastics (kids and grown-ups love them so!)

• ✅ Cadbury Dairy Milk bar

• ✅ Orange Boost

No service stations needed on the way down - we came prepared! Though we did earn ourselves a well-deserved stop at Hilton Park on the way back for a proper brew. More on why that was so desperately needed later…

Hudson’s Milestone and Early Dominance

Another milestone day for our Matthew Hudson - 33 clean sheets in 102 games! The man’s becoming a proper Oldham legend, and today felt like it was going to add to his collection from the first whistle.

We had a brilliant trio in midfield with Conlon, Pett, and Woods really starting to gel together. You can see the understanding developing, the way they’re finding each other with passes, covering spaces. This is what we’ve been building toward.

Then, Will Sutton with our first goal! I had an excellent view of it - felt like it was coming straight for me before nestling in the back of the net. Sometimes you just know when one’s going in, and this had that feeling from the moment it left his foot. Well done, Will!

Half-time and we’re going in winning - always the best feeling at an away ground.

Injury Concerns and Team Spirit

Fondop clashed in the penalty area late in the first half and was subbed off at half-time, with Quigley coming back after his 2-match ban. Always worrying when players go down, but good to see Quigley back in action.

Second half and we were commanding with the ball - you could feel we needed another goal just to make it a bit more comfortable. Away wins are precious, and you never want to give the home side any encouragement.

Then came a nasty clash in our own penalty area that left Daniels with a head injury 🤕. He inherited the white head bandage from Conlon last week - seems like that thing’s doing the rounds! But once he was properly bandaged up, he was straight back at it, solid in defense alongside Monthe. That’s what proper team spirit looks like.

Father-Son Football Drama

73 minutes in and it’s substitute Drummond on for Michael Mellon. The lad didn’t look happy at his dad’s decision, but what a game and impact he’s had since joining the team! That’s football management for you - sometimes the hardest decisions are the most personal ones.

Sealing the Deal

75 minutes and we’re awarded a penalty - up steps Hannant and it’s 2-0! Some of the home fans started heading for the exits at that point. There’s nothing quite like seeing away supporters celebrating while the home crowd streams out early.

But we weren’t done. Kept pressing, kept playing our football, and in the dying minutes we got the ball to Quigley and he found the back of the net - 3-0! Lots of happy Oldham fans celebrating a proper away day result.

Prophetic Chanting (Sort Of)

Chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning!” echoing around their ground directed at Cheltenham’s manager. Turns out we were wrong about the timing - he was sacked after the match! Sometimes football fans are more prophetic than they realize.

The Journey Home from Hell

Now, about that journey back… Biblical rain doesn’t even begin to cover it. Two lanes shut on the M6 due to flooding, speeds dropped to 20 mph, and no lights on the motorway. Aquaplaning on the M6 is definitely not the best way to end any day, let alone after a brilliant away win.

That stop at Hilton Park for a brew wasn’t just deserved - it was absolutely essential after navigating what felt like the M6 underwater obstacle course. Sometimes the journey home tests your dedication to football more than the 300 miles getting there!

The Perfect Away Day Formula

What Made This Special:

• ✅ Hudson’s 33rd clean sheet milestone

• ✅ Midfield trio of Conlon, Pett, and Woods clicking

• ✅ Will Sutton’s opening goal (felt like it was coming straight at me!)

• ✅ Hannant’s penalty sealing it at 2-0

• ✅ Quigley’s late goal for the perfect finish

• ✅ 300 miles, proper travel snacks, and Max the dog cuddles

• ✅ Accidentally predicting a managerial sacking!

What Nearly Ruined It:

• ❌ Biblical rain and M6 flooding

• ❌ Aquaplaning at 20mph with no motorway lights

• ❌ Daniels’ head injury (though he battled on like a warrior)

Three Goals, Three Points, and Playoff Dreams

3-0 away from home, clean sheet for Hudson, goals from three different players, and a performance that showed exactly what this team’s capable of when everything clicks. The journey home might have been treacherous, but the football was beautiful.

From Odie’s under-12s in Bury to conquering Cheltenham via Haribo and Max the dog - this is what proper Saturday football looks like. Even if Mother Nature tried her best to wash us off the M6 on the way home!

Come On You Latics! 💙

P.S. - Next time we’re definitely checking the weather forecast before planning the journey home. And maybe investing in some water wings for the car…