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 off. Not another injury. With Tom Conlon already sidelined, we’re starting to look stretched. Really hoping it’s nothing serious for Hannet – we can’t afford to lose more key players at this stage of the season.

Down to Ten

The second half brought more adversity. Will Sutton was shown a straight red for his tackle just outside the box. Down to ten men away at Salford in a local derby – not the position you want to be in.

But credit where it’s due: the lads didn’t fold.

Fighting Spirit

Hudson was magnificent between the sticks, pulling out some great saves when we needed him most. Even with ten men, we kept breaking forward at every opportunity, showing the fighting spirit that this club is built on.

In the final minutes, Morris and Garner linked up brilliantly, creating what should have been the equalizer. But once again, we couldn’t find the back of the net.

The Numbers Tell a Story

The stats make for interesting reading: 29 shots for them, 15 for us. It was end to end, proper derby stuff. On another day, with a bit more luck and maybe an extra man on the pitch, we take something from this game.

But football doesn’t deal in maybes. It finished 1-0, and Salford take the bragging rights this time.

Looking Ahead

These are the games that hurt the most – local derbies where you’ve given everything but come away empty-handed. The lads showed heart and determination, especially after going down to ten men, but we need to start converting chances and managing games better.

With injuries piling up and tough fixtures ahead, we need to regroup quickly.

Come on you Blues. We go again.

💙🔵⚪️ #OAFC

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