Grimsby Town 0 – 0 Latics: Resilient Latics graft for a point

Latics are making a habit of doing the hard and dirty work in the first half and profiting from it in the second, but this time came up short in an entertaining no score draw at Blundell Park.

GRIMSBY TOWN 0

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0

7,686

With the North Sea wind behind them in the first half, Latics toiled, tackled and tracked their way into the game and were fortunate that Grimsby did not make good on the attacking threat they showed.

Town had the ball in the net after just a minute (after Oli Hammond had spurned a terrific chance at the other end), with Kieran Green heading in from an offside position. It was very tight.

Grimsby threatened again: Jaze Kabia should have scored by tapping in Darragh Burns’s shot-cross from a few inches out but got his feet mixed up; and Charles Vernam brought a very good save out of Mat Hudson, who looked more assured between the sticks than he has done for a couple or three weeks.

Latics weren’t passive observers – far from it – and had three good chances of their own, but the shots were of variable strength. Woods’s speculative effort from outside the area looked threatening but Jackson Smith, on loan from League One Barnsley, could have taken it in his cap if he had one. Similarly, Michael Mellon’s shot towards the end of the half was hit with all the force of a marginally uncomfortable backpass. Joe Garner provided Smith with his only real test of the half – his shot from distance bounced in front of the keeper, who bundled it round the post for a corner.

The manner of this draw will have pleased Latics boss Micky Mellon, who loves it when his players show character in adversity. But he’d surely also like any type of adversity other than the one he and his team confronted after 51 minutes, when Mellon Jnr suffered a hamstring injury. He was in tears by the time the medical staff finally managed to get him a stretcher to the side of the ground where he went off. It could be a while before we see him again.

Mellon Jnr’s exit led to a triple change, with Kian Harrat, Joe Quigley and Luke Hannant coming on, with Garner and Oli Hammond the other two to make way. The substitutes held their own and, for periods, built on the graft of the starters. Harratt should have scored when he met Robson’s cross, but it was brilliantly saved by Smith.

Latics’ last chance was probably their best. Kane Drummond fashioned it and, when he hit it beyond Smith from six or seven yards, the Latics fans behind the goal were on their way into the air. Somehow, Vernam flew back to get in the way of it, putting it out for a corner from mid-air. It was an unbelievable block. There will be an almighty outpouring (possibly an all-nighter) when Drummond finally breaks his duck.

Latics finished the game practically with 10 men. Dynel Simeu, who had worked tirelessly at the heart of the defence with Manny Monthé, finished the game on one leg after Mellon Snr had made all five of his outfield substitutions.

Grimsby had one chance at the death (there were nine minutes of added time), but the ball didn’t fall for them, and Drummond cleared from the edge of the area. Latics earned that point big time.

Grimsby Town: Jackson Smith, Jayden Sweeney, Doug Tharme, Cameron McJannet, Harvey Rodgers, Géza Dávid Turi (Jamie Walker 71), Kieran Green (c), George McEachran, Charles Vernam, Jaze Kabia (Jude Soonsup-Bell 82), Darragh Burns (Justin Amaluzor 71)

Subs not used: Charlie Casper, Evan Khouri, Tyrell Warren, Reece Staunton

Oldham Athletic: Mat Hudson, Reagan Ogle (Jake Caprice 79), Dynel Simeu, Manny Monthé, Jamie Robson, Tom Pett (c) (Kane Drummond 82), Kai Payne, Ryan Woods, Oli Hammond (Luke Hannant 55), Michael Mellon (Kian Harratt 55), Joe Garner (Joe Quigley 55)

Subs not used: Tom Donaghy, Donervon Daniels