OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3, CRAWLEY TOWN 3
Oldham Athletic were unable to end their 115-years as an EFL club with victory as they were held at home by Crawley Town.
It was a match which mirrored a disastrous campaign which relegated Latics to non-league football after they won only nine of their 46 matches in Sky Bet League Two.
Latics, whose relegation was confirmed two weeks earlier, were 2-0 and 3-2 ahead only to be pegged back by the West Sussex side as their defensive frailties were again exposed.
And they ended up six points from safety – effectively seven because of an inferior goal difference to third-bottom Barrow.
The miserable total of 38 points was never going to be sufficient for Latics to hold on to their EFL status.
Goals from Jack Stobbs and Davis Keillor-Dunn gave Latics a great start, but George Francomb and James Tilley made it 2-2 by the break.
Latics were ahead again when Jordan Clarke’s spectacular strike found the top corner, however, Aramide Oteh netted an equaliser for the visitors.
With nothing to play for, manager John Sheridan made five changes from the loss at Tranmere with youngsters Harry Vaughan and Benny Couto named in the team.
Crawley had the first chance when Jake Hessenthaler shot straight at goalkeeper Danny Rogers.
In the 26th minute, Latics were ahead when Vaughan picked out an unmarked Stobbs and he remained cool to slot a shot past goalkeeper Glenn Morris.
Latics doubled their advantage two minutes later as Keillor-Dunn found himself one-on-one with the keeper and he made no mistake with a low shot.
A calamity from Rogers handed Crawley a way back into the game when he clumsily lost possession inside his own six-yard box which allowed Francomb to tap into an empty goal to the goalkeeper’s despair.
Just before the interval, the Reds were level as Ashley Nadesan sprinted down the left before finding Tilley at the far post as he fired past Rogers.
After an hour, Clarke produced a moment of brilliance to restore his team’s lead. The right-back received the ball around 25-yards from goal and he drove his shot into the top corner.
Oteh, fresh off the bench, levelled the scoreline with one of his first touches following a scramble inside the box as he flicked the ball over the line from close range.
Latics were nearly celebrating again as Junior Luamba raced one-on-one with Morris, however, the youngster was unable to hit the target as the game ended all square.
Oldham Athletic:Rogers, Clarke, Piergianni, Whelan, Hope, Keillor-Dunn (Adams 73), Jameson, Stobbs (Modi 66), Missilou, Couto, Vaughan (Luamba 55). Subs (unused): Leutwiler, Hunt, Hopcutt, Sutton.
Goals: Stobbs (26), Keillor-Dunn (28), Clarke (60) for Oldham Athletic. Francomb (39), Tilley (44), Oteh (68) for Crawley Town.
Attendance: 4,591 (133 visitors).