BOLTON WANDERERS 1, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2
Oldham Athletic secured a dramatic first victory of the season in Sky Bet League Two with a derby triumph at Bolton Wanderers.
It came at the sixth attempt after substitute Zak Dearnley struck the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
And after a challenging start to the season, this was a perfect pick-me-up for head coach Harry Kewell.
Kewell named four changes to his side that was beaten at home by Morecambe with Laurence Bilboe and Brice Ntambwe being handed their debuts and Danny Rowe and Dylan Bahamboula winning recalls.
The players to lose out were injured goalkeeper Ian Lawlor, George Blackwood, Dylan Fage and Dearnley.
Latics had an early goal ruled out as Tom Hamer had strayed offside.
Bolton’s Nathan Delfouneso and former Latics’ loanee Eoin Doyle had half chances which came to nothing.
Top scorer Conor McAleny had two opportunities to increase his season’s total but failed to hit the target each time.
Latics broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Rowe delivered a low cross which Ben Garrity tapped in at the far post for his first league goal for the club.
But the lead didn’t last long as Ian Evatt’s side equalised four minutes later after great work from debutant Peter Kioso on the right. He found Delfouneso who smashed home a shot from six yards.
Shortly after the interval Garrity should have scored again as McAleny delivered an in-swinging cross from deep which found the midfielder whose effort sailed over the crossbar.
Doyle had the chance to put Bolton ahead, but he snatched at the ball and it flew wide.
The lively McAleny was put through on goal and he lobbed goalkeeper Billy Crellin only to see the ball rebound back off the upright.
MaAleny went close again when, set up by Rowe, he fired over the crossbar.
In the fifth minute of added time, substitute Dearnley conjured a winner. He received the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and he ran the length of the pitch before rifling home a shot into the bottom corner to secure a first league win at Bolton since 1982.
Oldham Athletic: Bilboe, Jombati (Jameson 54), Piergianni, Garrity, Whelan (McCalmont 76), Rowe, Ntambwe, Barnett, McAleny, Bahamboula (Dearnley 85), Hamer. Subs (not used): Chapman, Fage, Grant, Keillor-Dunn.
Goals: Delfouneso, 32, for Bolton. Garrity, 28, Dearnley, 90+5 for Oldham).