MATCH REPORT: Oldham Athletic 4-2 Bury

A classic day of football was witnessed at Boundary Park, as Oldham ran out victorious in an entertaining derby-day fixture.

Latics got the game off to a flier when they took the lead after only eight minutes. A nice bit of work saw Lang play the ball through to Sam Surridge who picked out O’Grady in the middle of the penalty area. The experience forward volleyed the ball into the bottom left corner. Just two minutes later, Surridge doubled the home side’s lead when he connected with Gevaro Nepomuceno’s excellent cross to float a header across goal, as if in slow motion, into the left of the goal. Oldham fans could hardly believe the start they had made to the game.

The visitors didn’t really enter the Latic’s half until the 18^th minute when Lang brought Mayor down on the edge of the penalty area. O’Shea hit a well struck, swerving freekick toward the left of the goal, but this was matched by Daniel Iverson’s strong save.

Oldham continued to dominate the match and in the 32^nd minute increased their lead. O’Grady added a second goal to his tally. Nepomuceno sent a teasing ball behind the Bury backline and O’Grady, looking like a brand new player, raced onto it and coolly slotted the ball round the goalkeeper. The home side saw the half our professionally and looked good value for the lead.

The start of the second half looked like it may become a typical ‘game of two halves’ when Bury got one back in the first minute of the half, as Adams hit the ball across goal and the Oldham defence didn’t deal; leaving the ball on a plate for Lavery to finish. 10 minutes later, the home fans were feeling very nervy when Bury started to show their play-off credentials. Oldham failed to clear the ball and Adams put the ball on a plate for Lavery to head home from close range.

With this very dangerous start to the half from Bury, Oldham were counting themselves lucky when goalkeeper Joe Murphy fumbled the ball in the 62^nd minute. O’Grady capitalised on this mistake to head the ball into the net, as he clashed with Murphy. The Bury side were furious with the officials; the Shakers deemed that the Latics striker had unfairly challenged the goalkeeper. The referee, following discussion with his linesman, stood by his decision to award the goal.

This bitter blow for the visitors seemed to really knock the wind out of them, and they didn’t appear as attack minded in their approach for the remainder of the game. Oldham also weren’t looking to expend too much energy and saw the game out professionally. The only remaining clear chance of the game was in the 93^rd minute when Telford almost grabbed a late consolation goal; a great piece of defending from Tom Hamer denied him. A wonderful performance from Chris O’Grady, including a perfect hat-trick, sealed all three points for the boys in blue.

FULL TIME: Oldham Athletic 4 (O’Grady 8’, 32’, 62’) – 2 Bury (Lavery 46’, 56’)

Attendance: 5,018 (1,262 Away)

Oldham Athletic: Iversen, Hamer, Clarke ©, Edmundson, Hunt, Lang, Maouche, Missilou, Nepomuceno (Lyden 90’), O’Grady, Surridge

Bury: Murphy, Stokes (Telford 45’), Thompson, O’Connell, Adams (Miller 71’), Mayor, Moore, McFadzean, O’Shea, Danns ©, Maynard (Lavery 45’)

words Chris Stringer, D3D4 Oldham Athletic correspondent