Latics Diary: Mellon and Latics faithful on the same wavelength

Not for the first time, Micky Mellon is absolutely coherent with the Latics fans. In praising his side’s Christmas campaign-within-a-campaign, he said he wants his side to turn draws into wins, and to be “that wee bit more clinical” in front of goal. That is all it would take for Latics to be serious contenders for a play-off place.

Latics Christmas programme yielded five out of a possible nine points – draws against Grimsby away and Chesterfield at home, and a very impressive win away at the then league leaders Walsall.

They really ought to have beaten Chesterfield at Boundary Park on new year’s day. They posted Nos. 1 and 2 in the Miss of the Year Contest with fully 364 days to go, and the Chesterfield keeper saved a penalty in stoppage time.

Athletic were further away from beating Grimsby at Brunton Park on Boxing day, but the mitigating circumstances were compelling: Mellon made attacking substitutions in the second half, but the injury to Michael Mellon, whom we might not see again in an Oldham shirt, together with Dynel Simeu’s cramp, forced the side to take care of the practicalities rather than embark on risky attacks.

The stoppage-time win against Walsall between those matches was wondrous. Mellon outthought Walsall boss Mat Sadler, and Latics unsettled their higher-placed opponents, particularly in the first half, when they had no answer to Latics’ shape and purpose. They were made to look clueless all the way to half time, when Sadler imposed a measure of order. Latics were still on top even after Walsall equalised with a wonder strike from Daniel Kanu, and got their reward through Kian Harratt’s header from a Ryan Woods corner. The frozen travelling fans went bananas.

The postponement of the game away at Bromley last Sunday gives Athletic a welcome breather. Mellon had complained about Latics’ travel miles over Christmas – his gripe would carry more weight had he said something about it when the fixtures came out – and the cancellation of the journey to the bottom end of London would have been greeted with a certain amount of joy. Latics have nothing to fear against their erstwhile National League rivals, but the break offers a chance for muscles and minds to recover.

Latics have it all to play for between now and 2 May. They are capable of making the play-offs by taking points from the teams placed higher in the league, and steady accumulation from elsewhere, but they are also capable of throwing away draws and wins through faulty finishing. If you want to be unkind, they also throw the odd game away before the kick-off with experimental selections and shapes.

Mellon started clearing the decks with the transfer of Harry Charsley to Truro City and the return of Charlie Olsen, a non-playing loanee, to Blackburn Rovers. Mellon has talked

about having his eye on “one or two” unnamed players who’d be interested in a move to Boundary Park, but added that outgoings must come first.

Right now, Latics look like they’re a midfielder and a forward shy of a serious challenge to achieve a play-off place. They won’t fear anyone anywhere if they get there.