Latics find form after half-time Bunn rant

MANAGER Frankie Bunn praised Oldham’s spirit after they hit back for a victory over Cambridge.

After surviving a scare at Hampton and Richmond in the FA Cup first round, it was the second time in a week the Latics had come from behind to snatch a win.

Bunn said: “We didn’t offer much going forward in the first half, but the second half was completely different.

“There were strong words at half-time and I shouldn’t need to do that too often, but the players really responded and showed tremendous spirit.

“The spirit and character of the second half are what we are all about. We need to find that more consistently and I’m hoping this result will be the one that really kicks us on.”

Cambridge took just seven minutes to grab the lead as a patient passing move ended with George Maris slamming in a superb 25-yard drive.

Maris should have struck again soon afterwards, but he was denied by an excellent low save from Oldham goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

The Latics began their comeback just after the hour mark when Dan Gardner delivered a right-wing corner and George Edmundson headed in from just six yards out.

They were gifted their second goal in the 76th minute as veteran Forde miscued a clearance straight to Lyden, who fired into the empty net from just inside his own half.

Callum Lang quickly sealed Oldham’s win, bursting into the Cambridge box and crashing a shot in off a post for his third strike in four games. The result ended Cambridge’s four-match unbeaten league run.

Cambridge manager Joe Dunne said: “Oldham got momentum in the second half and it proved hard for us to get the ball into our front two. “They injected a lot of pressure into the game and it’s disappointing that we weren’t able to cope with it. The goals we conceded were very frustrating.

“In the first half we were really good and controlled the rhythm. George Maris scored a great goal and was then clean through a few minutes later, so another goal at that time and it could have been all over.

“I think a second would have killed it, but we couldn’t keep it going in the second half to keep them under pressure.”