YATES IS UPBEAT DESPITE DEFEAT
MARK Yates insisted there was room for optimism after his Macclesfield side suffered a loss at north-west rivals Oldham.
Goals from Sam Surridge, Johan Branger and Ishmael Miller inflicted a third straight defeat on the Silkmen in a disappointing return to the Football League.
Surridge’s sweet finish gave Oldham the breakthrough after 16 minutes, while Gabon international Branger doubled the lead eight minutes after half-time with a heavily deflected shot from 25 yards.
Michael Rose gave Macclesfield hope with a freekick from the edge of the box and they almost levelled through defender Fiacre Kelleher.
Instead, Oldham sealed the points in injury time with a fine individual goal from ex-Premier League star Miller – ensuring a first win for new Latics boss Frankie Bunn.
Yates said: “There are things we need to improve, but we knew what this season would bring.
“We aren’t kidding ourselves about needing points, but we could have won and we could have won our first two games.
“We aren’t a million miles away.
“In the first half we allowed too many crosses and conceded a poor goal. It improved after we changed things, but I don’t want to be changing things every game.”
Oldham wasted a clear early chance when Peter Clarke sent a free header over the bar from six yards, but the breakthrough came after as Gevaro Nepomuceno found Surridge, who cleverly created space inside the box and finished well from 12 yards.
Oldham’s second goal involved a stroke of good fortune as Branger-Engone let fly from 25 yards and the shot took a big deflection to leave keeper Rhys Taylor wrong-footed.
Macclesfield responded on the hour mark, with Rose curling a free-kick into the bottom corner of the net.
Kelleher almost levelled, but the hosts sealed it in stoppage time when Miller chased George Edmundson’s long clearance and scored a fine individual goal.
Oldham manager Bunn said: “It’s a great feeling to get that first win. I’m so proud to be here and it feels even better when you take three points.
“The staff and players are working very hard and we are taking small, but positive steps.
“There is a togetherness about us and the players keep going right to the end, which I’m sure the supporters appreciate.
“We dominated the first half, but Macclesfield were always going to respond and we got a bit deep defensively when they put us under immense pressure.
“We had to deal with it, which we did, and then the third goal from Ishmael put the game to bed. It was important to have players back. I think they strengthened us.”
OLDHAM: Iversen 6, Hunt 7, Clarke 7, Edmundson 7, Taylor 6, Branger 7, Coke 7, Gardner 6, Nepomuceno 6 (Graham 67, 6), O’Grady, Surridge 7 (Miller 83, 6). Subs not used: Lang, Baxter, de la Paz, Missilou, Haymer
MACCLESFIELD: Taylor 5, Welch-Hayes 6 (Pearson 81, 5), Kelleher 5, Grimes 5, Fitzpatrick 5, Maycock 5 (Wilson 73, 6), Rose 5, Napa 5 (Blissett 56, 6), Whitaker 5, Arthur 5, Smith 5. Subs not used: O’Hara, Lowe, Marsh, Evans