Just five minutes later it was 2-0 to Walsall when Taylor rattled the ball into the top corner from a very acute angle. Just before the half ended David Eyres came to the rescue when he hit a free-kick which the Saddler’s keeper thankfully allowed to roll under him and into the net to give the Latics faithful a glimmer of hope. Just on the stroke of half time Eyres did it again when he fired the Latics level just before the referee blew for half time. What a final 2 minutes to a half!
Oldham Athletic 5 Walsall 3
Just five minutes later it was 2-0 to Walsall when Taylor rattled the ball into the top corner from a very acute angle. Just before the half ended David Eyres came to the rescue when he hit a free-kick which the Saddler’s keeper thankfully allowed to roll under him and into the net to give the Latics faithful a glimmer of hope. Just on the stroke of half time Eyres did it again when he fired the Latics level just before the referee blew for half time. What a final 2 minutes to a half!
The second half started with a regenerated Latics who were hoping to build on their finishing flurry to the first half and they did. Dean Holden (pictured) took a pass from John Eyre on the right and wing and struck a scorcher into ther bottom corner of the net to give the Latics the lead for the first time in the game. Jack made it 4-2 in the 54th. minute when he had the easy task of knocking the ball over the line after some fine work from JJ. The fight back looked complete but it was worrying as the goals were flying in and it could just happen in the Oldham end too.More chances fell for Jack and Adam Griffin whos effort came back off the post before a bizarre decision by the referee threw Walsall a life-line with a penalty. Haining tackled Fryatt, which looked perfectly legal, but the referee pointed to the spot and booked Haining. Fryatt got up, dusted himself down, and slotted in the kick to make it ‘game-on.’
Jack was brought down in the box but the ref waved play on before Walsall had the ball in the net again. Fortunately the referee had spotted an infringement on Pogs. Walsall were pushing hard for the equaliser and Bennett went close twice with headers in the closing stages. Just in injury time it didn’t matter any more as Adam Griffin got a fifth for the Latics when he shot into the bottom corner.
Brian Talbot said, “I'm very pleased that we've got three points and scored 5 goals. I'm grateful for that and I've got to be grateful that the players responded in the right manner but I'm still a bit disappointed with our defending at times. I'm a relieved man, I'm a pleased man but I'm still not totally happy. I couldn't believe it as we started brightly and dominated the game. There was only one team in it. They didn't have a kick in my opinion and then all of a sudden the goalkeeper made a horrendous decision and they're 1-0 up."
"They got a corner and for the 3rd. time in the match they played the same corner and they caught us out and whacked it in the top corner. I was screaming at Griff 10 minutes before to stop the short corner and players have got to log-on quicker because people know they're jobs and they have to do it to the letter. If you let sloppy goals in you lose games. We played a team that were generous to us who let us play. We can play but we have to look at the other side of our game as well.”