MATCH REPORT: Maidstone United 0-2 Oldham Athletic

While Maidstone United were lurching into financial oblivion in the early 1990s Oldham Athletic were riding the crest of a wave that saw them become founding members of the Premier League.

The Kentish club eventually ran out of options and money forcing them to fold. They were reborn using the youth team of the old club as a starting point and have climbed back up the non-league pyramid. They beat League Two strugglers Macclesfield in the first round to progress and take on the Latics in the FA Cup second round today. Part of the problem that led to the demise of the original club was the fact they sold their stadium and went into a ground share with Dartford that saw attendances fall dramatically.

When the club did reform in 1992 they had no home of their own and had to ground share with various clubs until the Gallagher Stadium opened in 2012. This new ground replete with its 3G pitch has given the club a solid base from which to build. The pitch allows the club to utilise an income stream all year round which makes the club sustainable and being back in Maidstone has seen crowd numbers soar.

It was very evident as I arrived at the ground that this was a well-supported club. The stand behind the goal was flush with the amber clad hordes that are clearly relishing their club being back in the town.

Oldham were also well supported with over 400 fans making the trip south to take in what this FA Cup tie had to offer. The Latics have been in a state of flux ever since new owner Abdullah Lemsagam took control of the club last season. They have seen budget cuts right across the board and have had to build a squad made up of seasoned pros, young hopefuls and loan signings as they look to make a quick return to the third tier where it must be said, they had spent the last 21 consecutive seasons.

Coming into this game they had received the worse news regarding one of their most talented players Dan Gardner. The midfielder is effectively out for the season following an ankle injury and this was on top of the already bleak disclosure that Jose Baxter also faces a lengthy spell on the side lines.

Filling the void in the centre of the park in this game were a couple of players that probably hadn’t even heard of Oldham Athletic until last season. Mohammed Maouche and Christopher Missilou were both signed following the take-over as the Latics squad took on a more cosmopolitan feel.

In fairness to both, they proved to be solid and industrious throughout the game despite the conference side’s often heavy-handed approach. Also lining up for Oldham were Cameron Dummigan, Callum Lang and Sam Surridge, all excellent young players with Surridge often unplayable when on his game. It is at the back, though, that Oldham have perhaps their most valuable young asset in George Edmundson. The 21-year-old centre-back is one of the best defenders in the division for his age and is definitely one to keep an eye on. I had the pleasure of standing with his Dad in the away end to take in the game, a man who clearly knows his football and, like me, believes the key to developing young talent is to have them playing competitive football week in week out, not rotting away in a Premier League sides academy.

The players came out to raucous applause as both sets of supporters, divided by a thin strip of tarpaulined terrace, banged out beats on their respective drums. Oldham started the game brightly without creating much. The movement of Sam Surridge caused the Maidstone defenders problems as the spitting rain blew into our faces.

The non-leaguers have been struggling in the National League and it is easy to see why. The lacked the kind of players who could get the ball down and play, often resorting to hopeful balls forward to try and create a chance.

Their left-back George McLennan was lucky to only see yellow for a challenge that looked as though he was rehearsing for a role in a Bruce Lee movie. Callum Lang was the unfortunate Latic to receive a kick to the head.

The resulting free-kick was floated to the far post where Edmundson did really well to knock the ball back into the danger area where a grateful Peter Clarke was waiting to side-foot home. It was the start Oldham needed and they pushed forward looking for a second as Lang headed over moments later.

The home sides best chance of the half came after good work from Jake Cassidy allowed the forward to skip inside Hunt and lay the ball on a plate for teammate Elliott Romain only for the striker to scuff his effort into the arms of Iversen in the Oldham goal.

The first half petered out with Oldham going into the break leading. It was far from a comfortable lead and the need for a second goal was much discussed in the away end at half-time.

One thing you notice when standing with the Oldham fans is that they are a close-knit bunch, many clearly have been following the club since their heyday and have remained loyal as the side has slipped down the leagues. I even met George, better known as Oldham top-off who explained to me how an away game at Peterborough started him on the road to shirtless fandom.

The second half was much more of a slog as neither side created very much. Surridge saw an effort cleared off the line from a corner and Iversen had to make a smart save with his legs at his near post to deny Romain but a lot of the play was bogged down in midfield.

The fans were much more entertaining than the football on offer with endless chants and banter with their Maidstone counter-parts that even saw one home fan attempted to start a bad-tempered excursion into the away end only to be dragged away by security.

Oldham did eventually make the game safe as a moment of quality from Chris O’Grady saw him twist past a defender and finish from a tight angle. The goal all but confirmed the Latics place in the third round for the first time since 2013 which will hopefully see them draw a big club to earn a decent wad of cash.

Maidstone almost had the last cheer as an excellent free-kick from Oliver Muldoon smacked against the bar with the last kick of the game but in the end, Oldham had enough quality to see them through.

The ground emptied as the darkening gloom descended leaving Maidstone fans dreaming of what could have been and Latics supporters looking forward to the third round draw.

Att: 3,560 (426)

Words James Richards, D3D4 Football