Stags to riches!

Photo: All pictures: ALAN HOWARTH

Matteo Lanzoni heads his side into a two-goal lead.

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Mansfield 1, Athletic 4

Latics Kop for another Anfield bonanza

For the third season in a row Oldham Athletic will do battle with Liverpool in the FA Cup.

The Reds, dumped out of the competition at Boundary Park so memorably last season, will be out for revenge. Just savour that concept for a moment.

Liverpool with a major score to settle against League One Athletic.

Great, isn’t it?

This time, as it was two seasons ago, the rousing chorus of “Oh When the Blues” will reverberate around Anfield when the third-round tie arrives early next year.

And Athletic and the team’s loyal supporters thoroughly deserve to have progressed in the second-round replay at the expense of a plucky, robust Stags team which bent the rules almost to breaking point – literally, in the case of James Wesolowski’s bashed-up face.

Lee Johnson’s side were similarly damaged at half-time last night. A meeting with Johnson’s text buddy Brendan Rodgers looked a distant hope thanks to Ross Dyer’s opening goal and a date for Wesolowski with a hospital x-ray machine.

Outbattled and unable to penetrate a sturdy home back-line, Athletic’s management team had a big job to do.

Johnson was under major pressure, not only to rectify the wrongs on the pitch but also to swell Boundary Park’s coffers. He dealt with the situation decisively.

Introducing Matteo Lanzoni to the action, Athletic switched to 3-5-2 for the first time in Johnson’s nine-month managerial career.

It worked a treat – thanks in no small part to goalkeeper Mark Oxley. Had he not brilliantly tipped wide a Lindon Meikle effort two minutes before Danny Philliskirk slammed in a brilliant free-kick in front of 223 joyous travelling fans, this report would probably read very differently.

As it was, with Philliskirk switched infield from the left to operate behind front men Adam Rooney and Jonson Clarke-Harris, Athletic suddenly looked a potent attacking unit.

Five minutes after the leveller, Athletic were 2-1 up when Mike Petrasso slipped a pass into the path of Clarke-Harris and the finish across Alan Marriott was low and emphatic.

Substitute Carl Winchester was knocking over players to win headers in the centre circle and Oxley was charging from his line to claim crosses.

Things weren’t half looking up.

Lanzoni powered in a terrific header from Philliskirk’s flat corner delivery to double Athletic’s advantage and after Clarke-Harris’s shot was handled by a sprawling John Dempster, Rooney drove the penalty home.

It could have been even more emphatic: Winchester hit a deflected 30-yard shot narrowly off target and Rooney fired over with his left foot.

At the other end, Chris Clements wasn’t far off with a free-kick and Ollie Palmer forced more good work from Oxley.

But the game was up for Mansfield boss Paul Cox, who can be forgiven for not quite believing the final outcome.

That second half saw an amazing display from Athletic. If it can ever get boring facing Liverpool in the FA Cup, that stage certainly hasn't been reached yet.

Bring it on!