Pete Wild suffers first defeat as Latics boss

Pete Wild is in caretaker charge of Latics

Pete Wild suffered his first loss as Oldham Athletic manager after his side threw away a goal lead to come away from Macclesfield with nothing.

Latics opened the scoring inside a minute, as debutant Urko Vera converted a penalty, but the Silkmen rallied to score either side of half time.

To compound their misery, the visitors had Mohamed Maouche sent off in second half stoppage time.

Wild’s men made the perfect start to the match, as Callum Lang had a shot blocked by Miles Welch-Hayes’s hand in the opening seconds – and the referee pointed to the spot.

Vera, who signed on Friday until the end of the season, slotted home the penalty – firing straight down the middle and in, after a touch from goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara’s foot.

Latics found themselves on the backfoot soon after – as Fiacre Kelleher headed wide and Michael Rose volleyed off target of the away side’s goal.

Peter Clarke’s backpass was then intercepted by Harry Smith, but goalkeeper Daniel Iversen was out quickly to win the ball.

The equaliser came on the stroke of half time.

A loose ball fell to Smith on the edge of the area and the forward’s well-placed shot into the bottom corner beat Iversen to level the count.

Soon after the break, the hosts took the lead.

A ball over the top was misjudged by Clarke and Scott Wilson chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to put the home side in front.

Rose volleyed over before Lang had an isolated chance for Latics, with his effort blocked in front of goal.

The visitors’ best chance to level came in the closing stages, as Gevaro Nepomuceno hit the crossbar with a free kick.

Any hope of a comeback were quashed in stoppage time, as Maouche was dismissed for denying Tyrone Marsh a clear goalscoring opportunity in the eyes of the referee.

The result leaves Latics 12th in the League Two table.