Oldham Athletic 1 v Swansea City 1

Last updated : 27 April 2006 By Andrew Steel
Oldham FootyMad would like to welcome Andrew Steel to the reporting team. Look out for his reports and news items.

Oldham Athletic 1 Swansea 1
Goalscorers - Beckett (Oldham)O'Leary (Swansea)

Teams:
Oldham: Grant, Forbes, Edwards, Warne, Eyres, Wellens, Hughes, Haining, Branston, Taylor, Beckett subs: Smith, Butcher, Tierney, Owen

Swansea: Gueret, Ricketts, Austin, O'Leary, Tate, Britton, Mcleod, Williams, Robinson, Knight, Fallon

A close game saw two play-off hopefuls collide in a very entertaining match. Oldham who had lost the last 3 and failed to win in the last 4 were 4 points off in form Nottingham Forest while Swansea whose form had also dipped recently were 1 point off the playoffs. It meant that with 3 games left both teams knew they had to win if other results didn't go their way.

Kenny Jackett dropped the recently arrested Lee Trundle to the bench. While Ronnie Moore went with a 4-4-2 starting Eyres over Butcher.

The first half was very much the same for Oldham they didn't know what to do near the box and didn't really create anything. The defence looked shaky but held on.

Swansea probably went in feeling slightly better than Oldham did but they two didn't seem to create anything but the pace of Leon Knight was enough to worry Oldham fans. Knight though didn't really have a major chance and looked unable to cope.

The second half was the opposite both teams were able to create chances and Oldham were the better side. Taylor was substituted for Hall and that seemed to create a spell of Oldham domination which lead to a goal. Warne got the ball out on the right knocked the ball past defender and round the defender then started to tug on his shirt inside the box Warne went down PENALTY to Oldham. Up stepped Luke Beckett he struck the ball the ball well and into the bottom left hand corner GOAL Oldham.

Not long after a long ball up field from Swansea saw Lee Grant come out of his box and fail to clear fully. Terrell Forbes tried to finish it but headed it across the goal to Kirsten O'Leary who was about 20 yards away from goal, he controlled it and struck it even better GOAL Swansea.

Forbes took the brunt of the goal and was booed by a section of the Oldham supporters. Other chance were made David Eyers 20 yard shot possibly the closest it beat Gueret but hit the crossbar. Luke Beckett hit the post after a touch from Gueret in the last shot of the game.

On the whole a OK day for both teams both Barnsly and Forest lost leaving Swansea on equal points and Oldham 3 points behind. Bristol City have gone above Oldham on goal difference leaving them in 9

Man of the Match: Haining- was a rock in Oldham's denfence

Worst player on the pitch: Forbes- bad mistake that lead to the goal and yet another bad game in a disappointing season for Forbes.