Reasons to be cheerful for Latics

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

SUPER SUB: Dominic Poleon is in the right place at the right time to bring Athletic level with a finish from the edge of the six-yard box.

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Oldham 1, WIgan 1

TWO matches in charge, two 1-1 draws - and two encouraging displays for new Athletic boss David Dunn.

Saturday saw former Blackburn, Birmingham and England flyer Dunn take to the touchline for the first time at SportsDirect.com Park, and he will have been satisfied how the day panned out.

Again, in much the same fashion as they had done in Dunn's maiden managerial outing a week earlier at Doncaster, his rejuvenated team struggled to gain much of a grip in the early stages. But in the second half the hosts gave as good as they got in what turned out to be an even battle.

Aftrwards Dunn said he was a little disappointed his side didn't go on to win after Wigan lost a man with 20 minutes to go. But the new Oldham boss is slowly beginning to build a side that will hopefully end up being hard to beat.

A different test awaits tomorrow on Port Vale’s huge Vale Park pitch, but Dunn is edging his team back on the right track and his first win won't be far off.

Dunn made three changes to his starting XI from the Doncaster game: Swansea loan player Jay Fulton came straight in at midfield, while Michael Higdon got his first start at the front.

Arguably the most pleasing change for home fans was the return of skipper Liam Kelly, now fully recovered after a month out.

It almost turned into a dream start for the Oldham debutants: only 12 minutes had gone when Fulton floated in a peach of a cross for Higdon, the header pushed on to a post by Wigan 'keeper Richard O'Donnell.

There was little else to get excited about until the 35th minute, when Michael Jacobs teed up midfield partner Max Power, who smashed home an arrowing drive from almost 30 yards that David Cornell hardly saw. The home keeper’s reactions were almost unbelievable as he kept out Jordy Hiwula's snap shot from close range.

The second half began at a largely pedestrian pace, with Cornell again in the action as he saved from Jacobs.

Higdon went close to opening his Oldham account when he saw a header saved by O'Donnell, while the tireless Mike Jones will have been disappointed after an hour when he lifted a 20-yard free-kick well over the top.

The game was in need of a spark - and it came in the form of a senseless reaction that saw Wigan reduced to 10 men with less than 20 minutes left.

Wigan-born youngster Jordan Flores responded to Fulton's challenge from behind by aiming a kick at him, prompting referee Mr Handley to reach straight for the red card. Oldham levelled the score three minutes later.

Poleon, on for the weary-looking Kelly, scored the goal, lashing high into the roof of the net from close range as he met Fulton's low cross.

Poleon almost added a second minutes later when he dragged a shot disappointingly wide from eight yards, before again going close in the dying minutes.

Dunn's men couldn't find that elusive winning goal, but they gave it a real go in the closing stages.

Port Vale had better be on their guard tomorrow night.