Impressive Moors end Latics' winning run

Latics ended a run of four successive victories with a home defeat to Solihull Moors.

The hosts had the better of the first half.

After 23 minutes, Ogle's long throw led to Joe Garner's effort being pushed away for a corner by Laurie Walker.

Mike Fondop tested the Solihull keeper on the half hour, but again Walker was equal to it.

Oldham had two good chances at the end of the initial 45 minutes.

The first fell to Garner on 41 minutes from a Manny Monthe knockdown, the second in stoppage time and the best chance of the half when it fell to Charlie Raglan, but the defender pulled his shot wide.

Early in the second half the home side had a couple of chances to score, Josh Lundstram firing wide on 50 minutes and Mike Fondop's shot rattling the crossbar a minute later.

But against the run of play it was Solihull who took the lead after 52 minutes.

Jamie Osborne floated in a free kick from the visitor’s half, it fell to Bradley Stevenson in the box whose initial shot was blocked but, from the rebound, Jack Stevens fired past Matt Hudson to put the Moors ahead.

Latics boss Micky Mellon made an immediate triple substitution to gain a quick equaliser and the Oldham crowd were in uproar when Kitching was brought down in the box and the referee failed to give a penalty.

Meanwhile at the other end, Wilkinson headed wide from a cross from Stevens.

Latics finally levelled on 77 minutes following a period of intense pressure.

Substitute Dan Gardner's cross from the left found Mark Kitching who headed home past Walker for this third goal of the season.

But James Gale, who had come on as a second half substitute, put the Moors ahead again within five minutes when he used his strength to power through the Oldham defence and beat Hudson.

In the closing stages, Latics pressed for an equaliser and Walker twice denied efforts from Drummond and Fondop.

But in the third minute of stoppage time Solihull increased their lead.

James Clarke’s precise pass found Marcel Oakley who forced the ball home.

There was still time for a Latics response with Lundstram’s shot beating Walker for Oldham’s second in the sixth minute of added time.

“To be fair we were sluggish,” said a disappointed manager Mellon.

"Individual poor defending for probably all the goals, you can’t concede three goals at home and expect to win games.”

“The fans were fantastic today; they were terrific from the first whistle to try and get us going and kept roaring us on and I feel for them that we have disappointed them by not giving them the result that they deserved from some of the defending that we did and some of the lack of being clinical in front of goal.”

Latics return to action next Saturday when they host Halifax Town in the fourth and final qualifying round of the FA Cup.

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