Red Here, Red There, Reds Flying Everywhere

Last updated : 27 August 2006 By Andrew Steel

I was worried about this match against Carlisle, especially with a debutant goalkeeper and with only two goals scored so far this season and I had every right to be. Oldham started off badly with Carlisle all over them. They were finding it hard to put crosses in and it appeared like it was going to be a long afternoon for the Oldham faithful.

I was wrong and to a certain degree as Oldham got their game back when they started to attack Carlisle. They forced the Carlisle 'keeper into making some fantasic saves. A cross came in from Neil Eardley (called up for Wales U21 squad in midweek) but Grabban missed the ball. Luckily it fell to the feet of Haining who struck it well but the ball hit the bottom of the post and rebounded safely into the keepers hands.

After a long ball, a Carlisle player wrestled the ball off the young 'keeper and took a quick freekick. The ball was headed back to Knight and he caught it but minutes later he came out of his goal and dived on the ball at the edge of the area. He slid and the referee deemed him to have gone too far so he sent him off for a deliberate hand ball. As a result, Warne was replaced by Terry Smith in a tactical move by Sheridan.

There was only one more important event in the first half and that was when Grabban put the ball into the net which the linesman, sorry assistant referee, deemed him unjustly offside.

The second half started off like the first. A Carlisle corner was headed on by one of their players but it was well blocked by Edwards. The ball did appear to be going out of play but it rebounded to another red shirted player who hit it. The effort was well saved by Terry Smith, good enough to earn him his own song from the Oldham faithful.

Oldham were getting more of the ball and came very close to winning the game. Taylor, Molongo and Liddell all came close but Wellens should have won the game in the dying seconds with last shot of the game but unfortunately missed.

M/O/M: Stefan Stam - going from stength to strength
W/M/O/P (worst man on pitch): the ref - very poor