Vale defeat extends Latics winless league run at home

Oldham Athletic remain winless in the league at Boundary Park.

Oldham Athletic’s poor start to the league season on home soil has continued after their comeback fell short against Port Vale.

Latics, who are now just one place above the relegation zone in League Two, found themselves on the back foot early on with Vale dominating the opening stages.

It seemed only a matter of time before the visitors took the lead and so it proved, just 12 minutes into the contest Port Vale earned themselves a corner which David Worrell floated over onto the head of Nathan Smith. The defender rising the highest of everyone in the penalty area to nod Vale into a deserved lead.

Oldham were missing manager Harry Kewell, who is still in self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, they were also without an unnamed player who has also tested positive.

Their day then got even worse as Vale doubled their lead.

With seven minutes to go on the watch before halftime, Mitch Clark played a brilliant one-two with Tom Conlon before curling a wonderful shot from all of 20-yards into the back of the net.

That left Latics with a mountain to climb in the second period.

They didn’t have the wait long though before they were back in the contest, just five minutes after the restart Zak Dearnely, who continues with his impressive run of goals, diverted Dylan Bahamboula’s goal-bound shot.

However Oldham had Ian Lawlor to save shortly afterward as he saved from David Amoo, who could’ve restored Vale’s two-goal lead.

Cue Oldham’s siege of Vale’s goal searching for the equaliser but the best they could muster was defender Harry Clarke seeing his late header being cleared off the line.

The defeat leaves Oldham 22nd in the League Two table on five points from their eight games.

Next up for Latics is a trip to rock bottom of the league Southend United on Tuesday night (27th October).