MANSFIELD TOWN 0, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0
The goals may have dried up for Oldham Athletic in the absence of top scorer Sam Surridge, but Frank Bunn’s side remains unbeaten on its travels.
Latics achieved back-to-back goalless draws at Swindon Town and Mansfield Town in the space of three days to remain unbeaten in six games on their travels in Sky Bet League One.
And that has been built on strong foundations as at Mansfield they secured a fifth straight clean sheet.
Latics have conceded only one goal in their six away games, a phenomenal statistic, especially as their manager was a striker in his playing days.
However, the four dropped points from the last two games has seen Latics slip out of the play-off spots to eighth place.
It was another impressive defensive display in which loanee keeper Daniel Iverson was again exceptional as Latics, now unbeaten in four games, held a team that beat Northampton Town 4-0 at home three days earlier.
In the continued absence of Surridge, Ishmael Miller again played alongside Chris O’Grady up front.
The one change from Saturday was the fit-again Cameron Dummigan replacing Johan Branger-Engone wide right.
Iverson had to be alert as Otis Khan whipped in a free kick that was creeping in at the far post, but he turned it behind for a corner.
Danny Rose flicked a ball into the path of Tyler Walker, but the striker hit his effort horribly wide from a promising position.
Iversen was again at his best as CJ Hamilton cut inside from the right unleashing a powerful strike with Latics’ keeper tipping it over the bar.
Walker then found himself bearing down on goal and forced Iversen into another smart stop low to his right.
Latics didn’t have much joy going forward in the first period as Mansfield goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik was quick to sweep up anything coming into his penalty area.
There was still time for Iversen to make another stop as Hamilton this time tried his luck at the near post, but Iversen pushed it out for a corner.
Bunn introduced Sam Graham and Jose Baxter at half time as Latics switched to a 3-5-2 in the second period.
Baxter made an immediate impact firing over and dragging another shot wide. In-between he set up Rob Hunt who curled an effort over the bat.
Mansfield probably should have taken the three points after former player Jacob Mellis crossed to Will Atkinson late on, but he headed wide from a few yards out.
Chris O’Grady was almost played in by Stags’ goalkeeper Olejnik, but the ball wouldn’t sit right for the Latics striker and Mansfield managed to recover in time.
Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): Iversen; Hunt, Clarke, Edmundson, Taylor; Dummigan (Graham 45), Gardner, Missilou, Lang (Baxter 45); Miller (Maouche 76), O’Grady. Subs (not used): de la Paz, Benteke, Branger-Engone, Nepomuceno.
Attendance: 3,829 (411 visitors).