Oldham 1, Walsall 0: Brian Halford's big match verdict
AFTER a defeat it is customary for managers and players to use the word “disappointing”.
It has become a bit of a cliché. “It’s always disappointing to lose.” “Their eighth goal was disappointing”. “Disappointing all round”. What they actually mean, of course, in most cases, is “rubbish”.
But this, from Walsall, was “disappointing” in the true sense of the word.
Four days earlier they had won at Bristol Rovers with their best performance of the season. They were rock-solid at the back, competitive in the middle and potent up front.
The play-offs pack might have disappeared over the horizon several weeks ago but it was a display to suggest that fears of getting sucked into relegation trouble were overly pessimistic. Then this comes along and suddenly you’re not so sure.
A hardy sprinkling of Saddlers’ fans travelled to this dreary, doomed outpost of English football (Oldham hope to move soon so are spending no money on the old place) with hopes high after the Rovers win. They were disappointed.
A scrappy, error-strewn game was decided by Pawel Abbott’s 78th-minute header. It was the Latics’ first goal at Boundary Park since ten past four on December 12 and arrived when the journeyman striker beat two defenders to a cross that should not have been allowed in.
In that moment Walsall, who were poor all afternoon, took their punishment. Even Oldham, who average a goal every 106 minutes at home this season, had to take advantage eventually.
Manager Chris Hutchings and his players appeared baffled as to where this no-show came from. They seemed hurt as well, which was at least some sort of positive. Play like this at Leeds tomorrow and their goal difference could descend spectacularly into the negative.
