Latics earn draw against leaders

Photo: Alan Howarth

GOAL . . . Tope Obadeyi

ATHLETIC 1, SHEFFIELD UTD 1

JAY O'Shea's second-half screamer helped the league leaders claim a point at SportsDirect.com Park, but this was another gutsy display by John Sheridan's side.

Tope Obadeyi gave the hosts the lead a minute before half-time by getting on the end of a sweeping move that belied the difficult playing surface.

Kieron Freeman flicked the side-netting early on but Athletic were just about the better side in the first half.

Sheridan's side had a great chance to score on 31 minutes, when Lee Erwin's cross from the right was met by the onrushing Law, but his header had too much elevation on it and passed over the top.

Athletic had their lead a minute before the interval. Ousmane Fane won possession on the left, passed inside to Paul Green and he fed the overlapping run of Law, whose cross was volleyed home from close range by Obadeyi.

Erwin almost doubled the lead with a glancing header from a Chris Taylor cross that travelled just wide, before O'Shea blasted home a rising ball when 20 yards out after James Hanson had won an initial header on 50 minutes.

Athletic had most of the territory in the second half and Obadeyi forced Moore to paw out a low cross, while at other other end Billy Sharp skied a presentable chance and saw another effort blocked by Connor Ripley at point-blank range.