Saddleworth Independent Sports Editor Tony Bugby brings us the latest from Oldham Athletic FC.
IT LOOKS as though a miracle may happen and Oldham Athletic could yet escape relegation from Sky Bet League One.
Saturday’s draw at Scunthorpe United extended the unbeaten run to six matches to give the team a fighting chance of survival.
After being cut well adrift in the bottom four, suddenly Latics are only one point from safety after a remarkable turnabout in their fortunes.
Latics have picked up 12 points from their last six league games – what is remarkable is that five of them were on the road.
Latics won at Shrewsbury Town and Peterborough United and at home to Gillingham and drew away at Wigan Athletic, Blackpool and Scunthorpe United.
It is no coincidence that the upturn has come about following the return of Anthony Gerrard who has yet to suffer defeat as his debut marked the start of the unbeaten run.
Gerrard is the leader at the back, the general that the team has lacked in this troubled season.
When Gerrard had a loan spell with Latics last season, the club was in the enviable position of having three leaders in him, George Elokobi and Adam Lockwood.
They all left in the close season leaving a gaping hole that Darren Kelly and David Dunn, manager John Sheridan’s two predecessors in the current campaign.
Sheridan identified what was lacking, addressed the problem by bringing back Gerrard on a contract to the end of the season, and is now reaping the rewards.
Top scorer Danny Philliskirk had to be sacrificed by being sold to Blackpool enabling Gerrard to be signed, but it has proved an astute piece of business and the correct decision.
Sheridan has also dealt effectively in the loan market bringing in Burton Albion midfielder Matt Palmer, who has been a revelation, and strikers Curtis Main and Aaron Amadi-Holloway.
After the spell on the road, the fixtures for March are far kinder with five of the seven games at SportsDirect.com Park.
Latics won on their last run out at home beating high-flying Gillingham, their first three-point haul on their own pitch since defeating Fleetwood in their opening home league game.
If Latics could win three of the five home games, they would be well on the road to survival by the end of March. Of those games, two are against fellow strugglers as Blackpool and Chesterfield are visitors.
The two away fixtures are tough as they visit Sheffield United and leaders Burton Albion. But after recently winning at Peterborough and drawing at Wigan, they will hold no fear as Sheridan continues to work miracles in keeping afloat what looked like a sinking ship when he arrived only seven weeks ago.
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