MANSFIELD TOWN 6, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1
New head coach Dino Maamria’s honeymoon is well and truly over following nine-man Oldham Athletic’s heavy defeat at fellow League Two strugglers Mansfield Town.
The day was an unmitigated disaster in every aspect, none more so than the double dismissal of Filipe Morais and Tomas Egert in the 37th minute.
Latics were 2-0 down at the time and there was no way back as they also lost substitute Dylan Fage who was knocked unconscious having only been on the field for seven minutes.
And on top of that was an ill-timed comment from a Latics’ director two days before the game.
The club official revealed at a Q&A that they had been interested in signing striker Nicky Maynard in the summer but he had opted to join Mansfield.
He added Maynard was “not pulling up any trees” at Mansfield which was akin to lighting the touch paper as he promptly scored a first half hat-trick.
Latics had goalkeeper Gary Woods back in the side after injury but striker Desire Segbe Azankpo was away on international duty.
Maamria therefore handed Spaniard Urko Vera the first start since he became head coach four games ago.
Mansfield, two places and two points above Latics before kick-off, made the brighter start as Danny Rose, the division’s joint top scorer, had early chances.
As Latics battled back, the game took a turn on the half-hour mark when the Stags took the lead through Maynard’s close-range header.
A couple of minutes later and Maynard doubled his and Mansfield’s lead with a simple tap-in.
Things went from bad to worse when Egert and Morais were dismissed following reckless challenges in the same move, a rarity.
A change was made instantly by Latics to shore up the defence as Vera made way for Jamie Stott.
Latics, strangely, played better with nine men as Tom Hamer halved the deficit just before the interval.
The young full-back powered home a shot after finding himself unmarked as he met a cross with great aplomb.
John Dempster’s side would come forward again though and it was Maynard who restored the Stags’ two-goal advantage in stoppage time, slotting the ball past Woods from a tight angle.
The second period had a similar feel as Oldham were totally against the odds. Maamria’s side showed some fight early on to keep the score down but Mansfield got their fourth in the 55th minute as David Wheater’s wicked deflection from a Mal Benning cross caught Woods off balance to pile on the misery.
As both sides made changes for differing reasons with former on-loan Latics’ striker Dapo Afolayan coming on for the hosts and netting the fifth just after the hour following a counter attack.
Fage’s stay on the pitch lasted seven minutes before falling awkwardly and leaving the field on a stretcher with his neck worryingly in a brace.
Mansfield added a sixth goal in the last 10 minutes when Hamer fouled former team-mate Afoloyan with Jimmy Knowles scoring from 12 yards to complete the rout.
As nine minutes of stoppage was shown, Oldham prevented any further goals for what was a disappointing performance..
Oldham Athletic (4-2-3-1): Woods, Hamer, Wheater, Egert, Iacovitti; Sylla, Missilou; Morais, Maouche (Fage 61, Smith-Brown 73), Smith; Vera (Stott 38). Subs (not used): Zabret, Wilson, Adams, Eagles.
Attendance: 4,368 (441 Latics)