Unsworth happy to win ugly
OLDHAM Athletic boss David Unsworth has no issue with ‘winning ugly’ after his side saw off battling Maidstone United at Boundary Park.
An early goal from Nathan Sheron handed the Latics the lead before a thumping Alex Reid finish secured the win in the second minute of time added on.
Victory keeps Oldham clear of the relegation zone but condemns the struggling Stones to further misery at the foot of the table, four points adrift of their rivals.
Unsworth, whose side are now unbeaten in three, knows it wasn’t a pretty encounter.
“I’m delighted for the players, more than anything today,” he told The NLP.
“It was a professional performance, a fight that we looked well up for – I’d rather we win ugly than lose. All the things we want to do more of, battling for each ball, regaining possession quickly, and keeping our shape, we did today and I think the fans are starting to see the outcome of the work we’ve been putting in.
“We’re turning around an entire club and that’s not going to be a quick job. Right now, it’s all about results, we’re on a good run even after letting a two-goal lead slip on Tuesday against Gateshead.”
There appeared little hangover from the surrendered lead in midweek as the hosts started brightly, with Ben Tollitt going close, cutting in from the left before Sheron gave his side the lead.
A clever free-kick routine saw the former Harrogate Town midfielder find space outside the area, cutting in on his right foot and hammering a low driven shot in at the near post.
After little other action in the first half, the visitors started the second period well and should have equalised through striker James Alibi, but he sent a poor firsttime effort from inside the area over the bar.
The Stones, without a league win since November despite a run to the FA Trophy quarter-finals, pushed forward in search of a point, with defender George Fowler putting a free header five minutes from the end over the bar from inside the sixyard area.
Interim boss, George Elokobi, who received a warm reception from Oldham fans following his spell at the club nearly a decade ago, saw fine margins in the game.
He said: “The players gave everything, it’s a tough place to come but we showed character. We were just missing that bit of quality in the final third, on another day we’d have scored a few.”
The visitors’ search for a goal left them with one man at the back when Sheron won the ball on the half-way line, surging forward before playing an early pass to Reid, who took the ball on to his left before hitting a thunderous strike past Daniel Barden to seal the points.
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