OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0, SOUTHEND UNITED 2
Oldham Athletic’s wretched season plumbed a new low following the home defeat by Southend United.
They slipped to bottom spot of Sky Bet League as their miserable record at SportsDirect.com Park continued – they have won only once in 10 games.
And it is clearly becoming a psychological barrier at home where Oldham have picked up only seven points from a possible 30.
The fact that Oldham were booed off at both half and full time clearly is not helping the cause as fans are totally disillusioned with the club’s sorry plight.
Nile Ranger gave the Shrimpers a first-half lead and substitute Jermaine McGlashen sealed victory 15 minutes from time.
The only surprise was that it took them until so late as they extended their unbeaten run in the league to nine games, a run that has taken them from the elevation places to the fringe of the promotion play offs.
Stephen Robinson elected to stick with the same side which started Tuesday night’s Checkatrade Trophy game at Walsall where they won 3-1.
But the manager conceded four or five players were distinctly out of sorts.
Latics made a decent start as Billy Mckay forced a decent save from former Latics loanee Mark Oxley while there were also shouts for a penalty when Charles Dunne appeared to be shoved in the area.
Southend United took the lead on 18 minutes through Ranger. The striker acrobatically volleyed past Connor Ripley following a corner to give the Shrimpers the lead.
Robinson’s men were struggling to get a foothold in the game.
Southend were forced into a change before the break as Simon Cox was replaced by Marc Antoine-Fortune.
Robinson, whose side was in need of new ideas, made a double switch at half time as Carl Winchester and Lee Croft came on for Paul Green and Ryan McLaughlin.
The pair instantly combined on the edge of the box with Croft setting Ollie Banks up but the midfielder could not direct his volley on target.
Ryan Flynn’s 25-yard drive flew wide while Peter Clarke’s free header from 12 yards was easily saved by Oxley – he ought to have done better with it.
With 20 minutes remaining, Winchester set up Ladapo whose shoo from 18 yards flew wide.
Southend doubled their lead after 77 minutes when McGlashen punished an error in the middle of the park.
The winger nicked the ball off Banks, burst clear and beat Ripley at the second attempt after the keeper kept out his initial effort.
Ripley was forced into a late save as he tipped an Anthony Wordsworth free kick past the post while in the final minute of the game, Clarke hit the crossbar as the defender was again Latics’ most potent attacker, a sad indictment on the team’s forward players.
Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): Ripley; Law, Clarke, Burgess, Dunne; McLaughlin (Croft 46), Green (Winchester 46), Banks, Flynn (Erwin 66); Ladapo, Mckay. Subs (not used): Kettings, Wilson, Dummigan, Osei.
Goals: Ranger 18, McGlashen 77 for Southend.
Attendance: 3,414.