Latics 1 – 0 Grimsby Town: Clinical Latics sink Mariners

Latics were full value for this win, and they worked so, so hard for it.

The sides fought one another to the standstill for the vast majority of the game, but Latics were clinical in just one counter-attack and decided the game.

OLDHAM 1

Hawkes 82

GRIMSBY 0

8,896 (1,500)

Latics showed marginally better in the first 45 minutes. Kane Drummond could perhaps have done better with Jamie Robson’s far-post cross early doors, but it would have been a one-in-a-hundred goal. 

Latics shaded the head tennis, largely thanks to Mike Fondop’s dominance of the first ball. Latics shaded the tackling and closing, and they showed more in attack, spending most of the half probing the vanishingly small spaces conceded by Grimsby.

There was nothing in it and, as the teams went in for half-time, you wondered whether Micky Mellon could work the oracle, as he did when Newport visited Boundary Park earlier in the season, when Latics ran out 3-0 winners. Or would David Artell emerge with the upper hand, as Neil Harris of Cambridge United did in February, when they dominated the second half to win 0-3? Artell signalled his intent by calling his substitutes back to the dressing room after just two minutes on the pitch at half time.

Latics brought the fans into the game when Will Sutton had the best chance of the game up to that point – his header from a Jack Stevens cross was blocked by Cameron McJannet and went out for a corner. The Jimmy Frizzell Stand faithful cranked up the volume and never turned it down.

There were bits and bobs of opportunity for Latics. Fondop sent a shot over, Manny Monthé took the ball off Cook and surged upfield. Stevens nabbed it off Jackson Smith and fed Ryan Woods, who shot over.

Grimsby were less threatening, but Kieran Green gave Mat Hudson the chance to show that his confidence was not dented when he conceded (for the first time in 500-plus minutes) last week against Tranmere Rovers. Hudson gathered Green’s sharp volley when other keepers would barely have parried it.

Jamie Walker came closest for the Grimmers, beating Hudson with a fabulous shot but hitting the bar. Latics responded when Fondop shot into the side-netting after Joe Garner helped on Oli Hammond’s cross on 77 minutes.

The decisive, conclusive moment came on 82 minutes. Hammond broke deep in his own half on the Latics right. For the first time in the game, Grimsby had over-committed. Charging down the centre, Fondop had his shirt pulled off his back by Kacurri, but the referee waved play on because Hammond’s first-time crossfield ball was going straight into the path of Josh Hawkes – absolutely inch perfect – who beat Smith, one on one, from 10 yards. The Jimmy Frizzell Stand roof came off.

Joe Garner’s stoppage-time header off the line, followed by a Fondop clearance, showed that Latics are deadly serious about this play-off push.

Oldham Athletic: Mat Hudson, Tom Pett (c), Donervon Daniels, Manny Monthé, Ryan Woods, Mike Fondop, Jack Stevens (Josh Hawkes 67), Kane Drummond (Oli Hammond 75), Will Sutton, Calum Kavanagh (Joe Garner 37), Jamie Robson

Subs not used: Tom Donaghy, Jake Leake, Kane Taylor, Kai Payne

Grimsby Town: Jackson Smith, Jayden Sweeney (ReeceStaunton 86), Cameron McJannet, Maldini Kacurri, Harvey Rodgers, Geza David Turi (Jamie Walker 55), George McEachran (Justin Amaluzor 86), Kieran Green (c), Tyrell Sellars-Fleming (Jaze Kabia 65), Darragh Burns, Jude Soonsup-Bell (Andy Cook HT)

Subs not used:, Tyrell Warren, Jason Svanthorsson