HARROGATE TOWN 0, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3
Happy travellers Oldham Athletic savoured a ninth away win of the season in Sky Bet League on their first-ever visit to Harrogate Town.
Goals from Alfie McCalmont, Dylan Bahamboula and George Blackwood earned a comfortable victory which helped erase the pain of the 4-3 loss at Morecambe three days earlier.
Latics have the fifth best away record in League Town – if only they could have replicated that at home, they would have been challenging for promotion.
Harrogate had on Boxing Day become one of 13 teams to win this season in the league at Boundary Park in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Head coach Keith Curle named one change from the Morecambe match for the trip to the EnviroVent Stadium as the experienced Nicky Adams replaced Dylan Fage.
Inside the first 10 minutes, Latics took the lead through McCalmont. Adams’ corner was cleared to the midfielder on the edge of the box, and he smashed the ball home off the crossbar, similar to his spectacular strike against Exeter City.
it was the Leeds United loanee’s 10th goal of the season for Latics.
Town began to dominate for a period of the first half but failed to create any clear-cut chances.
The exciting Bahamboula continued to showcase his ability as he beat a defender on the edge of the area before seeing his effort deflected behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was given a free header from the six-yard box, but Joe Cracknell somehow managed to keep him out.
McCalmont nearly turned provided just before the interval as he demonstrated his vision by releasing Bahamboula on the right of the box as he fired into the side netting.
Just before half-time, the visitors nearly doubled their advantage but Conor McAleny’s volley went straight to the goalkeeper.
However, one minute into the second half, Latics extended their lead when Harry Clarke, operating a right-wing back, sprinted down his flank before his powerful strike was parried by Cracknell into the path of Bahamboula and the Congo international kept his composure to dribble around the goalkeeper to score his seventh goal of the season.
Curle brought Blackwood off the bench in the 73rd minute and he soon repaid Curle’s faith when he made it three. The Australian chased down the goalkeeper and blocked his clearance which rolled into the back of the net as his hard work paid off for his third goal of the season.
Latics should have had another through another substitute as Marcus Barnes found himself clean through on goal, however, the former Southampton player fired wide.
Blackwood nearly doubled his tally for the night in added time as he received the ball on the edge of the area by scholar Harry Vaughan before dribbling forwards, but his low strike was saved by Cracknell.
Oldham Athletic: Walker, Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson, Piergianni, Whelan, Keillor-Dunn (Vaughan 83), Jameson, McAleny (Blackwood 73), Adams (Badan 83), Bahamboula (Barnes 65), McCalmont (Garrity 73). Subs (not used): Bilboe, Fage.
Goals: McCalmont, 7, Bahamboula, 46, Blackwood, 75, for Oldham.