OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0, STEVENAGE 1
It was an unlucky number as Oldham Athletic crashed to a 13th home defeat of the season against Stevenage in Sky Bet League Two.
Thirteen losses from 20 home league games in a damning statistic as they have collected only 17 points from a possible 60 at Boundary Park.
And in the League Two home form table, Latics languish in 22nd place, again miserable reading.
Improving Stevenage, now unbeaten in 11 games, were the latest team to triumph as Latics have now won only once in their last nine matches, seven under new head coach Keith Curle.
Scott Cuthbert’s first-half goal meant more home misery for Latics had no complaints as they could have lost by an even heavier margin.
Once again, Curle named one change to the team after the defeat at Leyton Orient last weekend with Ben Garrity returning from injury to replace Coventry City loanee Marcel Hilssner.
Inside the opening five minutes, Harry Clarke misplaced a pass which allowed Luke Norris to intercept, but Latics goalkeeper Laurie Walker denied him.
Stevenage almost took the lead when they won a free kick just outside the penalty box as Chris Lines, who played under Curle at Northampton Town, sent a shot into the side netting to Latics’ relief.
Alex Revell’s side was ahead in the 24th minute when Ben Coker delivered a superb corner to Cuthbert at the back post and the captain’s looping header went straight into the far top corner.
Latics looked to level as the in-form Alfie McCalmont set up Davis Keillor-Dunn, but his effort from was easily saved by Chelsea loanee Jamie Cumming.
Boro could have doubled their advantage as Elliot List found himself one-on-one with Walker who denied him.
Latics started the second half brightly and should have equalised when Kyle Jameson headed over Nicky Adams’ free kick from in front of goal and Garrity then fired over when he ought to have hit the target.
The lively List found himself clean through after a great pass by his strike partner Norris, but Walker produced a great save.
In the 74th minute, Stevenage’s Arthur Read, on loan from Bournemouth, raced into the area on the right-hand side before being tripped by Jameson.
However, Walker kept Norris’ penalty out before he deflected his rebound onto the post.
Right-back Luther James-Wildin raced into the box and beat Carl Piergianni before playing the ball across the goal to List, but the forward missed from close range.
Stevenage nearly found the back of the net again from a corner when Coker’s set-piece found Luke Prosser, but his header hit the crossbar.
Latics were so close to scoring an equaliser late on as substitute Cameron Borthwick-Jackson’s cross was cleared to Callum Whelan but he blasted his effort over the crossbar.
In added time, Latics thought they had scored when Davis Keillor-Dunn had an effort cleared off the line by James-Wildin.
Oldham Athletic: Walker, Clarke, Piergianni, Garrity (Hilssner 66), Whelan, Keillor-Dunn, Jameson (Borthwick-Jackson 80), McAleny, Badan (Fage 69), Adams, McCalmont. Subs (not used): Bilboe, Jombati, Ntambwe, Diarra.
Goal: Cuthbert, 24, for Stevenage.