OLDHAM ATHLETIC 5, NEWPORT COUNTY 0
Amid a deeply depressing backdrop – the threat of administration and late payment of wages – Oldham Athletic recorded their biggest league win for more than 13 years.
Adversity certainly seemed to have galvanised Latics as they emphatically defeated out-of-form Newport County at Boundary Park where they are unbeaten in five matches.
And Exiles’ manager Mike Flynn admitted it could have been an even heavier defeat for the Welsh side.
Latics were left to reflect on a job well done as they matched the 5-0 win against Nottingham Forest in League One back on New Year’s Day 2007.
Danny Rowe scored a brace – his first goals in seven games – and there were also strikes from Zak Dearnley, Tom Hamer and Jonny Smith.
Latics made three changes from Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Gevaro Nepomuceno and Zeus de la Paz coming into the team.
The players to lose out were injured goalkeeper Gary Woods, Zak Mills and Christopher Missilou.
Mohamad Sylla kept his place in the side, making his 50th appearance for the club.
Dearnley, who grabbed a brace at Orient, and almost immediately carried on from where he left off, as he headed Smith’s inswinging corner against the post inside four minutes.
Moments later, Smith and Dearnley combined once more, the latter turning provider this time as Smith flashed his close-range effort just wide.
Rowe, looking for his first Boundary Park goal, almost got off the mark on home soil when Newport goalkeeper Tom King’s loose clearance fell to him and he tried his luck from 40 yards, but his audacious effort flew just over.
Latics continued to push for the opener and almost broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when David Wheater’s effort flew narrowly wide from Nepomuceno’s cross.
Nepomuceno found Dearnley, but King was out of his goal quickly to smother the ball.
In the 25th minute, Latics’ pressure was rewarded, Rowe persistence paid off as he wriggled free and King was unable to keep out his powerful effort.
Two minutes later, Latics doubled their lead, as Dearnley applied the finishing touches to a flowing move. Rowe sent Borthwick-Jackson away down the left flank, and the full-back’s cross was turned home by Dearnley for his third goal in two games.
Three minutes before half time, Rowe played in Nepomuceno with a perfectly weighted pass. The Latics’ winger raced through but was stopped in his tracks by a last-ditch challenge from Ryan Innis.
Latics had their third soon after the restart when Nepomuceno picked out Rowe, who expertly dropped his shoulder before calmly finishing.
Just past the hour, Latics made it four. Smith’s intelligent pass picked out the marauding Hamer, and his deflected effort looped over King.
In the 63rd minute, de la Paz was called into action for the first time, comfortably holding Mickey Demetriou’s speculative strike from range.
Rowe was a whisker away from completing his hat-trick. He created the opening for himself, twisting in the box before firing towards goal from a tight angle. However, the outside of the post prevented him from taking home the match ball.
There was no let up from Latics and they made it 5-0 with seven minutes left. Smith raced into the box and picked out the bottom corner with a low, right foot finish, his 12th goal of the season.
Latics went in search of a sixth, and almost had it two minutes from the final whistle. Hamer played in Nepomuceno, but his low strike was held by King.
Goals: Rowe (25,52), Dearnley (27), Hamer (62) and Smith (83) for Oldham.
Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): de la Paz; Hamer, Wheater, Piergianni, Borthwick-Jackson; Smith, McCann (Missilou 86), Sylla (N’Guessan 90), Nepomuceno; Rowe, Dearnley (Maouche 66). Subs (not used): Allen, Branger-Engone, Azankpo, Egert.
Attendance: 2,912 (147 visitors).