Sports Editor Tony Bugby brings us the latest from Oldham Athletic FC.
DAVID DUNN may only be Oldham Athletic’s interim manager, but he is certainly giving the impression he is in the job for the long haul.
In little over three weeks in charge, Dunn has totally revamped the squad with the signings of five new players.
And striker Michael Higdon, who is on loan from Sheffield United, has certainly hit the ground running with two goals, may be three, in three games as the first of his brace at Gillingham on Saturday has in some quarters been debited as a Brennan Dickenson own goal.
Suffice to say 32-year-old Higdon, a journeyman whose clubs have been Crewe, Falkirk, St Mirren, Motherwell and Dutch side NEC Nijmegen, is providing the firepower Latics have lacked.
He has been joined by Swansea City loanee Jay Fulton, ex Manchester United full back Richard Eckersley who is back from spells with Major Soccer League sides Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls along with Daniel Lafferty and Cameron Dummigan, a pair borrowed from Burnley.
Latics remain Sky Bet League One’s draw specialists as eight of their 11 league games have finished all square.
Indeed, all four of Dunn’s games have finished that way and, depending on whether your glass is half full or half empty, he is unbeaten or has still to secure a first win.
Dunn has certainly acted swiftly, especially to address the goalscoring issue with last season’s top scorer Jonathan Forte and Jake Cassidy out long term while Rhys Turner and Rhys Murphy have been allowed to leave on loan.
Oldham find themselves just above the relegation places having picked up 11 points from 11 league games – a point a game is usually not enough to beat the drop.
But it is a bizarre situation as they have lost only twice in the league, yet won only once.
And those eight draws represent 16 dropped points that equates to more than five losses which underlines the urgent need to start transforming those stalemates into victories.
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