OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1, HARROGATE TOWN 2
Oldham Athletic remain consistently bad at Boundary Park after another home defeat, this time to Harrogate Town.
Latics had the worst home record in Sky Bet League Two in 2020-21 with only six victories from 23 matches.
And it is even worse this time around as Latics are again bottom of the home form table with one point out of a possible 15 from five league games.
Harrogate took the lead in the first half through Jack Diamond before Luke Armstrong doubled their advantage after the interval.
Youngster Harry Vaughan notched a late consolation in the 76th minute, his first-ever professional goal, but it counted for nothing.
Head coach Keith Curle’s men entered the clash on the back of an excellent victory in the derby at Rochdale last weekend, but they also had a disappointing home loss four days earlier to Leeds United in the Papa John’s Trophy.
Head coach Keith Curle named six changes for the fixture against the Sulphurites with captain Carl Piergianni, Dylan Bahamboula and Jack Stobbs among those returning.
Bahamboula and Stobbs combined for the first opportunity of the match in the eighth minute. The DR Congo international winger took on two defenders on the left before delivering a pinpoint cross to Stobbs at the back post, but the former Sheffield Wednesday striker struck the bar from close range.
Jordan Clarke struck an effort from distance, but it deflected off a team-mate and over the crossbar.
Harrogate, without a win in their last four matches, broke the deadlock in the 29th minute. Alex Pattison providing the assist with a cross for Sunderland loanee Diamond to slot into an empty net.
Bahamboula went close straight from the restart, cutting in from the left before curling a shot narrowly wide.
Armstrong almost doubled the lead after an hour. The frontman chased down Harrison McGahey before being gifted possession by the defender, but Jayson Leutwiler managed to deny him.
However, the former Middlesbrough attacker got his name on the scoresheet in the 66th minute. Town produced some great passing before Armstrong walked through the defence before slotting under the goalkeeper for his seventh goal of the season to make him the division’s leading goalscorer.
Harrogate failed to keep a clean sheet when Latics’ substitute Vaughan made an instant impact as he played a one-two with Callum Whelan before keeping his composure to slot past former Latics’ keeper Mark Oxley to halve the deficit.
Latics applied pressure in search of an equaliser, but couldn’t create any further clear-cut chances as Harrogate made it back-to-back wins at Boundary Park since winning promotion to the EFL last season.
Oldham Athletic: Leutwiler, Fage (Vaughan 75), Clarke, McGahey, Piergianni, Stobbs (Dearnley 70), Diarra (Bowden 64), Whelan, Keillor-Dunn, Bahamboula, Hope. Subs (unused): Danielewicz, Bettache, Da Silva, Edwards.
Goala: Vaughan, 76, for Oldham Athletic. Diamond, 29, Armstrong, 66, for Harrogate Town.
Attendance: 3,729 (177 visitors).