Main earns Latics huge win

GOAL . . . Curtis Main

OLDHAM 1, WALSALL 0

CURTIS Main's second goal in five days earned Athletic another huge win in the battle against the drop, finally taking John Sheridan's men outside the relegation zone.

Main converted well in a game that saw chances arrive at both ends, as Walsall chased a result that would keep the pressure up near the top of the League One table.

Athletic, unchanged from the side that had beaten Swindon 2-0 in midweek, were second-best in the first half but still had two good chances to open the scoring.

Curtis Main, who netted against the Robins, flashed a first-time left-footed shot narrowly wide on the turn from a Tareiq Holmes-Dennis cross and right on half-time, Jonathan Forte stepped around Neil Etheridge after robbing Paul Downing but tried to score from an acute angle with the outside of his left foot rather than try with his right and only found the side-netting.

Walsall extended Joel Coleman through Jordy Hiwula early on, the Athletic goalkeeper racing out to block, and he also watched Andrew Taylor go close with a free-kick and had to work hard to push Sam Mantom's swerving effort over the top.

The second half opened quietly, before Athletic took the lead.
Jonathan Forte advanced down the left after winning the ball off Matthew Pennington and his cut-back found Main who fired in a low left-footed shot past Etheridge after 63 minutes.

Hiwula went close in the final 10 minutes, firing over the top after seeing space open up for him inside the penalty area.

But Athletic were deserving winners, keeping a fourth straight clean sheet in the process.