Oldham Athletic 2 Luton Town 2

Last updated : 19 March 2005 By The Chairman

The Latics were desperately unlucky not to have taken all three points off league leaders Luton Town. They suffered by conceding an early goal but fought back well to build up a 2-1 lead which lasted until the last minute when Luton scored an equaliser to demoralise the home fans. There were two new faces in the line up. Gareth Owen was signed on loan from Stoke just before the deadline. Combined with the addition of Luke Beckett from Sheffield United, the formation looked a much more formidable one than the paper thin one of late.

The Latics looked quite competent and it was difficult to tell which team was pushing for the Championship and which one was trying desperately to avoid the drop. Paul Underwood opened the scoring for the visitors but Killen brought the crowd to their feet when he blasted the ball into the net in the 39th. minute. Beckett marked his debut with a deserved goal in the 48th. minute when he side footed home from an acute angle to see the Latics in the unfamiliar role of looking like being able to win a game.

The dying seconds dealt a cruel blow when Howard headed the equaliser in the 3rd. minute of time added on. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the home faithful but a draw against Luton would have probably been accepted by all Latics fans if you had asked them before the kick-off.

The positive thing to come out of the game is that the team played well and for once looked dangerous. The crowd went away disappointed with the result but happy with the performance, one that gives confidence that all is not lost. Oldham Athletic can stay up!

Ronnie Moore reported to the official site, “When you're down there that's what happens, we all know that. I'm gutted for them 'cause they worked so hard but we got pushed deeper and deeper and really invited a goal to come, to be honest. We slept from the throw-in and the lad's put in a great cross and unfortunately for us, Howard's put it in the only place he could have put it to get them a point. From a set play again, that's the third goal on the trot we've conceded and it's because defenders are dopey and they sleep. They need to be brighter and they need to be cuter. The midfield players have let the runners go and the lad's put it in the top corner. Then really, it's an uphill fight when you're playing against a side at the top of the table but give them credit, we've come back.”

“For the first goal a great little movement between the two strikers and then what Beckett did is what he's about. Sniffed out the back-pass, got it around the 'keeper and stuck it in and we were hoping that that would be enough to push us on. If we would have used the ball better on the break we could maybe have got to 3-1 and it would have been game, set and match but the longer the game they went and they threw players forward and unfortunately for us, the last cross into the box we couldn't deal with it. We looked a lot better at the back, we looked a lot more organised but I'd just like to see us be hungry on set plays. The sickening thing for me is that we really should be five points clear now instead of only three.”