Two sides in extremely contrasting form came into the early League One kick off at SportsDirect.com par. Oldham with only one loss in their last 15 games faced Crawley with only one win in 5. And it was the form side that began the stronger of the two when débutante and Villa loanee Johnson came close after a good run early on but just couldn’t find the finish. He didn’t have to wait long for his first Oldham goal though as he ran through the Crawley defence once again far too easily and slotted home past Ashdown in the red devils goal. After the goal, Crawley began to pass the ball around more fluidly but couldn’t make use of the possession. They did however find an equaliser just on half time as some terrible defending from both Rachubka and Wilson allowed the ball to fall to Edwards on the edge of the box who finished finely. The second half was much more of a one sided affair. The home side continued to press high up the pitch and did create a number of chances however the visitors held the back line strong to further frustrate the Latics. Despite heaping pressure on and having the majority of possession, Crawley held strong to earn a good point away from home, Oldham however were left wondering how they didn’t gain all three.
Oldham Athletic
| Paul Rachubka- Very poor mistake and judgement for the Crawley goal, not really tested otherwise. | 6.0 |
| Brian Wilson- Clever on and off the ball with good runs and interceptions. | 7.5 |
| Timothee Dieng- Strong in the air at the back but poor attacking headers from set plays. | 7.0 |
| James Wilson- Poor under pressure for goal, otherwise good heading and tackling throughout. | 7.0 |
| Joe Mills- Some good maze runs forward with decent crosses and overall play. | 8.0 |
| Mike Jones- A few misplaced passes but very energetic in the middle, not his best game though. | 7.0 |
| Liam Kelly- Good control and passing as well as playing the sweeping role behind the midfield very well. | 8.0 |
| Daniel Johnson- Fantastic first half with great pace and runs along with a calm finish for the first goal, he did however go quiet in the second half. | 8.5 |
| Jonathan Forte- Looked rather lethargic and uninterested at times during the game. | 6.0 |
| Danny Philliskirk- Always looked energetic on and off the ball, just couldn’t create enough clear cut chances. | 7.0 |
| Jabo Ibehre- As usual strong hold up play and good flick one but again no clear chances on goal. | 7.0 |
Substitutions
| Michael Tidser- Passed well and good movement after coming on at half time. | 7.0 |
| James Dayton- Quiet and didn’t really have much time to make an impact | 6.0 |
| Dominic Poleon- Looked uninterested and poor on the ball | 6.0 |
Crawley Town
| Jamie Ashdown- Made some good saves to keep Crawley in the game, especially diving low to deny Jones from range. | 7.5 |
| Ryan Dixon- Covered well mostly but not always in position. | 7.0 |
| Connor Henderson- Defended ok with some good tackles as well as being strong in the air. | 7.5 |
| Dean Leacock- Good interceptions and tackles along with numerous key blocks. | 7.5 |
| Sonny Bradley- Marked Ibehre very well, strong in the air and on the ground. | 7.5 |
| Gwion Edwards- Fantastic finish and quick thinking as well as good runs and energy. | 8.0 |
| Jimmy Smith- Poor passing at times and loose control. | 6.0 |
| Joe Walsh- Quiet in game but made some good blocks and tackles. | 6.5 |
| Keith Keane- Panicky on the ball as well as persistent fouling but did make good some good interceptions and blocks. | 7.0 |
| Bobbie Bauling- Sloppy play at times but showed some glimpses of energy. | 6.5 |
| Gavin Tomlin- Had a very quiet game with little chances up front. | 6.0 |
Substitutions
| Lewis Young- Looked very energetic and promising after coming on. | 7.0 |
Man of the Match
| Daniel Johnson- Fantastic first half with great pace and runs along with a calm finish for the first goal, he did however go quiet in the second half. His first half performance was enough to warrant him with the MOTM. | 8.5 |
Highlights
