COLCHESTER 3, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3
Could this be the start of the green shoots of recovery after Oldham Athletic picked up their first point of the season in Sky Bet League Two.
It followed a spirited draw at Colchester where Latics, who had lost their first three league games, showed great character and resilience.
Latics were 2-0 down at half time and trailed 3-2 midway through the second period before Conor McAleny rescued a point with a late leveller.
There were three changes to the side that started the home defeat by Crawley Town as Aussie George Blackwood, Ben Garrity and Dylan Fage came in for Davis Keillor-Dunn, Bobby Grant and Danny Rowe.
Latics suffered an early setback when they lost Italian left-back Andrea Badan through injury after only 16 minutes as he was replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
Colchester fired warnings as Miles Welsh-Hayes and Kwame Poku had chances to put them ahead.
Latics had their best chance of the opening half when McAleny headed wide from Sido Jombati’s cross.
The breakthough came from the U’s in the 28th minute when a neat passing moved ended with Callum Harriott chipping goalkeeper Ian Lawlor.
It got worse for Latics shortly afterwards when they conceded s penalty following a handball by McAleny as Harriott struck again to double the lead.
Head coach Harry Kewell looked to change the game at half-time introducing Dylan Bahamboula and Jordan Barnett on to replace Callum Whelan and Borthwick-Jackson.
The introduction of Bahamboula proved to change the course of the game and in the 51st minute he was brought down with McAleny halving the deficit from the penalty spot.
Two minutes later and Latics were level when centre half Carl Piergianni struck with a close range tap-in after McAleny had flicked on Barnett’s corner.
However, it didn’t take long for the U’s to regain the lead and it was a spectacular headed effort from Welch-Hayes who was not far inside the penalty area.
Latics went in search of an equaliser and thought they found it only for goalkeeper Dean Gerken to make a splendid save to deny Fage.
They finally got their rewards with one minute of regulation time left when McAleny struck again.
Bahamboula provided the assist with a low cross which looped off a defender to McAleny and he made no mistake.
Oldham Athletic:Lawlor, Jombati, Piergianni, Garrity, Blackwood, Whelan (Bahamboula 46), Fage, McAleny, Badan (Borthwick-Jackson 16, Barnett 46), McCalmont, Hamer. Subs (not used): Chapman, Rowe, Keillor-Dunn, Grant.
Goals: Stevenson, 28, Harriott, 37, Welch-Hayes, 66, for Colchester. McAleny, 52 pen, 89, Piergianni, 54, for Oldham.