Shafts of light amid the gloom

BACK IN BUSINESS . . . Jonathan Forte displays some neat footwork on his return to the Athletic team

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HALIFAX 1, ATHLETIC 2

FLOODLIGHT failure followed bee infestation to provide the latest pre-season oddity for Athletic - but despite a recurring second-half slow-down there were moments of clarity at a gloomy Shay.

Rhys Turner and Brian Wilson supplied first-half goals for Oldham, who grabbed total control of the opening period against Conference opponents.

An own goal from trialist centre-back Fraser Kerr came as Halifax stirred in the second period. The Shaymen might also count themselves unlucky not to have equalised. Connor Brown appeared to have fouled Josh MacDonald inside the penalty area, but referee Seb Stockbridge awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the box instead.

The official could hardly be blamed for getting it wrong. The side of the field Athletic defended was by that stage deep in darkness, with only half the field illuminated.

Stockbridge sensibly blew for full time after 87 minutes, the field too dark to continue.

By that stage Oldham manager Darren Kelly had former PSV Eindhoven under-19s man Ryan Hiwat on for Forte, up front with Belgian hopeful Jack Mmaee. Hiwat, slender and quick, showed glimpses of promise and former Standard Liege forward Mmaee looked even sharper.

Also on the field at that stage were Kerr, Thompson and Jimmy Keohane - five trialists, which even without the ill Gavin Gunning illustrated considerable work still to be done to finalise the make-up of the squad with the season’s opening game only 10 days off.

Without Wilson and Gunning, Kerr and Thompson initially had a quiet time, with Athletic's midfield dominant. Playing in an effective diamond shape in which pockets of space regularly presented themselves, Liam Kelly and Mike Jones were dominant and George Green showed well as the attacking 'tip', though he was occasionally over-elaborate in possession.

Up front, Jonathan Forte worked well with Rhys Turner and it was that combination that put Kelly's men ahead in the 14th minute.

Forte found space in the penalty area to produce a left-footed cross, was poked home cleverly on the stretch by Turner.

Athletic's second was a cracker: Jones slid a corner kick to the edge of the area, where Brian Wilson controlled and side-footed home powerfully past veteran Halifax goalkeeper Matt Glennon.

It was almost three when Joseph Mills hammered a first-time 20-yarder off the underside of the crossbar after one of many driving runs by Jones.

Halifax came into it a little at the end of the first half, Jordan Burrow heading over with their sole effort of the opening 45 minutes. A goal was pulled back when Halifax won a corner which passed across the box and hit Kerr on the shin before dribbling across the line.

Thompson stood up well, but midfield cohesion almost vanished into the gloom in the host of substitutions, again emphasising how vital Athletic's main players are.

The main lesson Kelly will take is that Athletic's players seem far more comfortable in the variation of a 4-4-2 formation they started with. Expect him to repeat the exercise at Carlisle on Saturday – hopefully this time without nature doing its worst to scupper his plans.