BLACKBURN ROVERS 3, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2
Oldham Athletic suffered heartbreak after conceding two stoppage time goals as they lost at Championship club Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Latics had been within touching distance of causing a giantkilling act until Rovers stage a dramatic late fightback.
Goals from Gevaro Nepomuceno and Mohamed Maouche had given Latics a 2-1 lead, the latter nine minutes from time which had looked to be the winner.
Rovers, who had made it 1-1 through substitute Bradley Dack, struck twice in stoppage time through Stewart Downing and Joe Rothwell to snatch victory in the cruellest way imaginable from Latics.
And the crushing manner of the loss was underlined at the final whistle as players sank to their knees in disbelief.
It was a measure of how important the cup is that Rovers made 11 changes from the side beaten at Fulham on Saturday.
Their side still included internationals Stewart Downing and Corry Evans along with the experienced Danny Graham.
Latics even made five from the team that started the home defeat by Crewe Alexandra three days earlier.
There were starting spots for Alex Iacovitti, Nepomuceno, Mohamad Sylla, Dylan Fage and Desire Segbe Azankpo.
The players losing out were Jamie Stott, Johan Branger-Engone, Tom Hamer, Urko Vera and Scott Wilson.
Nepomuceno justified his first start of the season as he put Latics ahead in the 14th minute with a super solo strike.
He picked up the ball on the left, pressed forward unchecked and unleashed a drive from 22 yards which arrowed into the bottom corner.
Latics’ goalkeeper Gary Woods pulled off a terrific save to deny Evans as Rovers came close to drawing level just short of the half hour.
Rovers made all three substitutions by the 63rd minute and Dack, one of the changes, immediately crossed for Ben Brereton who headed against the upright from a couple of yards.
Dack had only been on the field for seven minutes when he equalised.
Latics’ left-back Ashley Smith-Brown’s poor control let in Dack who played a return pass with Graham before firing home from close range.
Rovers thought they had taken the lead in the 75th minutes when Ben Brereton headed home a Joe Rothwell free kick at the near post.
After lengthy deliberations with his assistant, referee Tom Nield controversially chalked out the goal for offside.
It could have been a defining moment in the match as not long after Latics snatched the lead.
Fage’s cross from the left was poorly cleared to Maouche who placed a shot high into the net from 14 yards.
You had a feeling it was going to be Latics’ night when the usual deadly Dack missed two sitters by his standards in quick succession.
Woods saved well from the first while the second was fired wide when you would have put your mortgage on him finding the net.
But in the second of six added minutes, Rovers made it 2-2 as Downing scored his first goal for the club.
Referee Nield waved play on after a Latics’ foul on Dack as the ball fell invitingly to Downing who found the net with a well-placed drive from 30 yards.
And it got worse for Latics who conceded a second stoppage goal a cross into the box was headed across the face of goal as Dack squared the ball back for Rothwell to have a simple tap in, a cruel finish after they had been within touching distance of victory.
Oldham Athletic (4-1-4-1): Woods; Mills Iacovitti, Sefil, Smith-Brown; Fage (Hamer 87), Maouche, Missilou, Nepomuceno (Branger-Engone 66); Azankpo (Wilson 80). Sub (not used): Zabret, Stott, Vera, Eagles.
Goals: Dack (70), Downing (90+2), Rothwell (90+4) for Rovers. Nepomuceno (14), Maouche (81) for Oldham.
Attendance: 5,215 (686 visitors).