Oldham Athletic 3 Accrington Stanley 2
Last updated : 03 November 2004 By The Chairman
The Latics entertained Accrington Stanley for the first time since the 60’s in the LDV Trophy game at Boundary Park. Aaron Wilbraham won a penalty in the 24th. minute which Matty Appleby converted to put the Latics ahead. Kevin Betsy was shown the red card in the 35th. minute after a comedy situation which saw the Latic’s manager Brian Talbot bundled over and Betsy was sent packing for apparently retaliating.
Accrington levelled the score through McEvilly just before half time and Stanley took the lead through Craney just after the break. Adam Griffin came on in the 73rd. minute and scored the equaliser with a header on his first touch and then Dean Holden hit the winner eight minutes from time when he headed in at the back post.
Brian Talbot described the tie as, “...a battling second half performance with ten men.” He went on, “I didn’t see Kevin Betsy's sending off as I was on the floor after a foul on Kevin. I don’t know it had happened. I asked the referee at half time and he said it was violent conduct. He said he got him by the throat. I honestly didn't see it. I can't comment as I was on the floor. It was definitely a foul. If Kevin reacted with his hands up then the referee's got to make a decision. His decision was to be sent off and it's obviously a poor reaction from Kevin 'cos it was a bad foul.”
“When Stanley went ahead I was keeping my calm and not swearing as much as their manager. We changed it at half time to three at the back, went four and two, and I've got to say that the two substitutions, Vernon and Griffin, changed the match. We had to do something as we were losing 2-1, but all credit to the players to keep battling on. I can't really remember until the last two minutes, when they had another chance, and they had a spare player. They had one chance in the first two minutes of the second half and they had another chance when Danny Hall made a slip at the end. And with the extra player they didn't really create any problems for us. They had a bit of the ball but they didn't create many chances but our two second half goals were first class. They were two very good crosses and I've got to say that when you're down to 10 men and 2-1 down, if you win you've got to say well done to the players."
