Struggling Port Vale ended their run of three straight League Two defeats with a battling victory at Boundary Park against Oldham Athletic.
Frankie Bunn’s starting eleven consisted of Iversen, Hamer, Clarke ©, Edmundson, Hunt, Branger-Engone, Lyden, Gardner, Lang, Baxter, O’Grady.
Fun Fact: #oafc have gone 1-0 down in the first half of 5/7 home league games this season and haven’t won a single one.
— Joshua Jones (@joshuapsjones) October 20, 2018
Neil Aspin’s side were lucky not to be behind after eight minutes. Rob Hunt did well down the left-hand side before he whipped a dangerous ball along the six-yard box, but no Latics players could get on the end of the cross.
Port Vale nearly took the lead as a Leon Legge long throw wasn’t dealt with by Latics and Nathan Smith forced Daniel Iversen into a incredible save after the Danish goalkeeper tipped the effort onto the crossbar.
Dan Gardner almost scored the goal of the season after the ball sat up nicely for a sweetly struck volley from around 30 yards out, but Scott Brown was able to push the venomous effort away.
Port Vale’s breakthrough came after 37 minutes when Latics club captain and defender Peter Clarke barged Luke Hannant to the ground as the pair chased a hopeful ball over the top. Experienced striker Tom Pope sent Iversen the wrong way from the resulting penalty (0-1).
Moments later, Latics felt they should have had a penalty for Smith’s challenge on Lang.
Just after half-time Latics were almost level as a dangerous corner-kick caused confusion inside the six-yard-box and Connell Rawlinson almost put the ball into his own net, as his header smacks against the cross-bar.
Gevero Nepomuceno got down the left-hand side and crossed into PeterClarke, who had found himself in the box and nearly redeemed himself, but the club Captain put his left footed shot just wide.
Soaking up numerous Latics attacks, Port Vale put everything on the line for the cause and eventually secure all three points at Boundary Park.
Here is how Oldham Athletic fans reacted to defeat at home against Port Vale –
Piss poor tactics today. Unadventurous, boring, amateurish performance #oafc
— Sam Arthur (@ArthurSam1985) October 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/WilliamsKevin/status/1053690981512593408
Please do not blame the referee for that performance, he was poor but that display today was abysmal. Bunn is making it up as he goes along. #oafc
— Ste Nuttall (@ste_nuttall) October 20, 2018
I repeat, Bunn doesn’t have a fucking clue. This is the worst football I have seen in years. No momentum, no creativity, don’t look like scoring. Fuck me, absolutely fucking awful #oafc
— Tim (@isabelleol) October 20, 2018
30+ plus years watching & I love #oafc but win, lose or draw it doesn't matter these days. It's boring to watch! Nothing but crisis after crisis off the pitch & boring tactics & unexciting football on it! @OfficialOAFC 😴😴😴
— OAFC Memories #AbdallahOut #SaveOAFC (@oafcmemories) October 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/DannyPWild/status/1053678301338845184
Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. Poor officiating granted but that doesn’t change the toothless rubbish that we offered from 1st min to 90…. #oafc
— Danny Taylor (@dan_taylor12) October 20, 2018
