CITY 1 OLDHAM 4

PLENTY has changed since Oldham knocked City out of the Checkatrade Trophy on their last Valley Parade visit 10 months ago.

Stuart McCall was in one dug-out and Paul Jewell the other while Eoin Doyle was leading the Latics attack.

But one constant remains – the lack of appeal for the early sparring of this drawn-out competition.

Even the presence of Zeus in Oldham’s goal – the exotically-christened Dutchman De La Paz – failed to stir the footballing Gods.

Only 1,015 made the effort, Valley Parade's third lowest despite being up by just over a hundred on the Everton under-21s game thanks to a few boisterous travelling fans, and they witnessed a fairly one-sided encounter. Oldham fielded a more experienced team and it showed.

Those who gave the game a swerve did miss a minor City milestone as Kai Bruenker broke his scoring duck at the 17th attempt since his arrival from SC Freiburg’s second team last January.

But the evening only confirmed to David Hopkin what he already knew about the lack of strength in depth with so many of his squad still out of contention.

Hopkin made seven changes to come up with a 3-4-1-2 system, more out of necessity to protect the 16 fit players currently available.

The team included two 16-year-olds making their first start – Eliot Goldthorp, the penalty hero of a fortnight ago, and Reece Staunton.

The defender, who set the club record as their youngest-ever player last year, was one of three left-footed centre halves.

Hopkin did at least have Josh Wright back but the skipper’s return from hamstring injury was fairly muted like most around him.

There was a moment’s scare when he stayed down after a challenge but was able to continue after treatment.

Alex Jones also get a welcome 10-minute run – his first appearance since November. But Hopkin will not want to rush the striker back given his recent history of setbacks.

Sherwin Seedorf, starting in the absence of the suspended Sean Scannell, swept an early volley over from Jack Payne’s cross and Jordan Gibson, City’s Checkatrade perennial, fired high into the empty TL Dallas Stand.

But it was Oldham who drew first blood on 10 minutes, Mohamed Maouche and Sam Surridge combining to set up Callum Lang who beat Gibson’s desperate defensive efforts on the line.

Nathaniel Knight-Percival went close from a City corner and Seedorf whizzed a cross-shot past the far post.

But Oldham tightened their grip midway through the half with a second goal.

Dan Gardner’s shot deflected into Chris O’Grady’s path and with Richard O’Donnell caught in no man’s land, the one-time City loanee squared for Maouche to cleverly divert into the far corner.

City looked for a quick response and Payne stole possession on the edge of the Oldham box. But David Ball got the ball stuck under his feet and sent a scuffed shot wide.

O’Donnell made amends for his part in Oldham’s second with a fine save to deny Gardner and then pulled off a point-blank block from Lang, although the flag was up for offside.

Just to add to Hopkin’s issues, Goldthorp picked up a second Checkatrade booking to rule him out of next month’s final group game at Barnsley.

And Oldham nearly had a third right on half-time when on-loan Bournemouth striker Surridge, a handful with his movement, poked a close-range shot past O’Donnell but it trickled across the goalmouth.

But City responded five minutes after the break – and it was a real breakthrough moment.

After Knight-Percival’s header had been shovelled wide from one Payne corner, the next was buried in the corner of the net by Bruenker.

Having struggled to make an impression in English football so far, the German’s joyous celebration run towards the minimal crowd showed how much it meant to him.

But City’s comeback hopes were short-lived as Surridge restored Oldham’s two-goal cushion within six minutes from O’Grady’s precise cross.

Surridge, the best player on the pitch, was a whisker away from another as he flicked on Peter Clarke’s header.

Bruenker almost doubled his tally as he powered another Payne corner just over. But that man Surridge once again took advantage of a wide-open defence to drill home Oldham’s fourth with ten minutes left.

That was the cue for Jones to reappear for the first time in almost a year but it was Oldham and Surridge who still threatened as O’Donnell denied him a hat-trick.

CITY: O’Donnell 6, Knight-Percival 6, Staunton 6, Isherwood 5, Gibson 6, Goldthorp 6, Wright 5 (Ellington 86min), Seedorf 6 (Riley 77min), Payne 6, Ball 5 (Jones 82min), Bruenker 6. Subs (not used): Maltby, Milambo, Birchall, Sykes-Kenworthy.