Youngsters return from Bangladesh trip

The Latics youngsters have returned from their trip to Bangladesh and coach Tony Philliskirk has hailed it as a big success. Twenty of Athletic's young players had a very rewarding experience which began with a defeat against national champions Mohammedan at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. The game was played in soaring heat and the jet-lagged youngsters went down 2-1. The Latics marksman was Matty Barlow. The Bangladesh under-23 side were next up and Michael Pearson scored the Latics goal in a 1-1 draw in a game played in Sylhet. The close out game was played against the Abahani team in an encounter which saw Marcus Holness sent off for punching after accusations that the opposition were spitting the Athletic's faces. The game ended 0-0.

Philliskirk (pictured) said of the trip, "Purely from a football point of view, it was a really valuable learning tool for every one of the lads. The temperatures made for a type of game they aren't used to, where opponents let you have the ball but then hit you on the break as soon as someone commits himself. It was about how to play against different styles, maybe a bit like playing a team from Italy or Spain. And the strikers gained experience of being man-to-man marked, so now they have a better idea of what it's like to be followed all over the pitch. For defenders it was case of learning the value of patience, of staying on their feet because the opposition might start cheating or diving around if there's any sort of contact. All these things can only help the development of their game, so hopefully they will carry it forward into the future."

"Our schedule was very tough on the lads, too tough if I'm honest, so if we go to Bangladesh again I would like more say in the organisation. We were also disappointed with the crowds because we expected more than 5,000 people at our games, although I accept we were competing with the Indian cricket team being on tour. Overall though it was an excellent tour, and maybe the best thing was seeing all the lads together enjoying such a great shared experience. We already had a very good team spirit, but they have bonded even more and a few of the younger lads really came out of themselves as the week went on. It was valuable for the staff as well."

"Things are different when you're a long way from home and, personally, I was able to stand back and see which of my players were leaders and which were followers. There was too much football for the time we were away but it was nice to hear some of the lads saying they would like to stay for longer. Hopefully our visit will have given Oldham Athletic some kudos, and if there's anything we can do to help football in those countries, long may it continue. The Bangladesh Football Federation were very interested in our structure, but I do think we need to educate their coaches if it's going to have a long-term impact."