OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0, TRANMERE ROVERS 1
A seventh home defeat of the season plunged Oldham Athletic into deeper trouble at the foot of Sky Bet League Two.
Tranmere Rovers became the latest team to leave with maximum points as Latics remain in the bottom two relegation places.
It looked as though Latics, with the worst home record in the division, would pick up a valuable point until Chris Jolley was Tranmere’s matchwinner with a last-minute strike.
The defeat left Latics with a return of seven points from a possible 30 at Boundary Park where their home blues continued. They have managed two wins and one draw on home soil.
It was the first home match since head coach Keith Curle’s departure with youth-team coach Selim Benachour in temporary charge and a case of what might have been as Davis Keillor-Dunn was denied earlier by the crossbar.
But on the evidence of this display, it looked like two teams heading in opposite directions, Tranmere towards the promotion play-off places and Latics for the Vanarama National League.
Benachour was taking charge for his third fixture having overseen a league loss at Salford City and a fabulous win at League One side Sunderland in the Papa John’s Trophy.
The interim head coach named three changes to the starting line-up as Zak Dearnley, Jamie Bowden and Harrison McGahey while Nicky Adams retained his place in the team for his 650th career appearance.
Latics began on the front foot as Benny Couto forced a save from Ross Doohan following Adams’ corner.
In the sixth minute, both sets of supporters united with one minute’s applause in memory of six-year-old Birmingham City fan Arthur Labinjo-Hughes whose death at the hands of his father and stepmother horrified the nation.
Keillor-Dunn nearly opened the scoring with an effort from the edge of the box which struck the crossbar and later put a header wide when unmarked after being set up by Adams.
Benachour’s side had the ball in the back of the net, but to the frustration of the home faithful, the referee demanded that the corner be retaken after he ruled the ball moved as Couto made a connection with it.
Dearnley, who netted twice in the last outing against Tranmere, nearly put his Latics ahead early in the second half when his shot was cleared off the line by Callum MacDonald after Hallam Hope had set him up.
Tranmere substitute Liam Feeney cut in from the left beating three defenders but, having seemingly done the hard work, blazed over.
In the 70th minute, Keillor-Dunn, once again, was presented with a golden opportunity to get himself on the scoresheet, heading wide from six yards at the back post from Adams’ cross.
Kieron Morris went in search of the breakthrough goal for Tranmere with five minutes remaining as his drive from distance struck the upright.
Cheered on by the travelling army in the Chaddy End, Tranmere broke the deadlock in the 89th minute courtesy of Jolley.
The striker, recalled from his loan spell at Chester prior to the match, converted a Morris cross from close range with a simple tap-in to snatch victory at the death.
Oldham Athletic: Leutwiler, Adams, McGahey, Piergianni, Couto, Cisse (Whelan 52), Bowden, Vaughan (Stobbs 79), Keillor-Dunn, Dearnley (Bahamboula 71), Hope. Subs (unused): Southerington, Hart, Stobbs, Diarra, Luamba.
Goal: Jolley, (89), for Tranmere Rovers
Attendance: 4,303 (812 visitors)