OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2, SCUNTHORPE UNITED 3
Oldham Athletic paid the price for a woeful start as their seven game unbeaten run was ended by Scunthorpe United.
And despite staging a valiant fightback, Richie Wellens tasted defeat for the first time in his eight games as interim and permanent manager.
Tom Hopper and Josh Morris put the Iron in the driving seat as they established a 2-0 lead inside 10 minutes.
Goals from captain Peter Clarke and Craig Davies made it 2-2, but Scunthorpe substitute Duane Holmes had the last word with a late winner for the visitors to SportsDirect.com Park.
Wellens made two changes, one enforced, to his side that started against Bury on Tuesday night.
Johny Placide missed the game on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, and he was replaced by Jack Ruddy, while Abdelhakim Omrani earned his first league start for the club as he was preferred to Queensy Menig.
It was a disastrous start as Scunthorpe United took the lead in the fifth minute.
Hakeeb Adelukun picked out Lee Novak in the centre, Ruddy saved his shot, but Hopper slotted home the rebound.
One became two five minutes later as the visitors extended their lead when a mix up at the back allowed Funso Ojo to pick up the loose ball and he threaded it through to Morris to double the Iron’s lead.
Latics struggled to get going and Wellens made a change after only half an hour as Omrani was replaced by Menig who offered more width.
Latics started to dominate possession and create openings without threatening to find the net until the first minute of stoppage time when Clarke halved the deficit heading home a Jack Byrne corner that was nodded on to him by Davies.
And with the momentum with them, Latics could have gone off on level terms as Eoin Doyle and Dan Gardner had openings.
Latics came out strongly in the second half as Menig went close in the opening minute, but curled his effort wide.
Not long after, Gardner drove into space in midfield, played the ball through to Davies but his shot was blocked.
Latics continued to press with Menig’s electrifying pace and the prowess of Doyle a threat to the visitors.
The two combined just before the hour mark as Menig crossed for Doyle but the ball deflected into the arms of keeper Matt Gilks, an Oldhamer.
However, Latics had to be wary of the counter attack as the Iron had a shout for a penalty rejected while former loanee Cameron Burgess headed wide from six yards.
Wellens brought on Brian Wilson in place of goalscorer Clarke as Latics continued to go in search of the equalising goal.
With 20 minutes remaining, Menig and Doyle again combined as the winger got to the byline and crossed, but Doyle fired over the crossbar.
Tuesday night’s hero Aaron Amadi-Holloway was introduced after 77 minutes and soon helped set up the equaliser.
A free kick into the box was not cleared and Holloway headed across goal to Davies at the far post to slot home.
However, two minutes later, all the hard work was undone as Scunthorpe regained the lead.
Morris won the ball on the left, got to the byline and crossed for Holmes to bundle the ball over the line to win the game.
Latics continued to pressure the Iron and in the final minute of additional time, with everyone forward, Byrne’s corner found Menig at the back post who volleyed across the box to Holloway, but he could not convert.
Oldham Athletic (4-1-3-2): Ruddy; Dummigan, Clarke (Wilson 66), Bryan, Hunt (Holloway 77); Fane; Byrne, Omrani (Menig 29), Gardner; Davies, Doyle. Subs (not used): Gerrard, Green, Nepomuceno, Flynn.
Goals: Clarke (45+1), Davies (81) for Latics. Hopper (5), Morris (10), Holmes (83) for Scunthorpe.
Attendance: 4,331 (440 visitors).