Epic comeback for never-say-die Latics

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

WHAT A FEELING . . . goal scorer David Worrall and Jonathan Grounds celebrate after Athletic reduce their arrears to 3-2.

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Oldham 5, Peterboro 4

There is wide-eyed optimism. Then there is believing that Athletic can score four or more goals in 45 minutes of football.

Promotion-chasing Peterborough could have been five or six up by half time, such was their domination and attacking prowess.

Nobody gave Athletic a chance; but former Saints star Gary Harkins did more than anyone else to spin what was destined to be a dreadful defeat on its head.

The St Mirren player was as irresistible on the left flank in the second half as a reshaped Athletic had been defensively appalling in the first.

Genseric Kusunga put the icing on the cake with the incredible match-winning goal in the fifth minute of added time, sparking scenes which included Connor Brown kissing referee Richard Clark to earn a booking and manager Lee Johnson skidding around the turf and muddying his smart trousers.

But this spellbinding tale of footballing magic was weaved principally by Harkins. Mercurial he may be, but one thing he isn’t, is lazy.

Ten minutes from the end, the former Kilmarnock man raced back to his own penalty area, nicked possession and dropped a shoulder twice to nip past two would-be tacklers. That alone is the stuff cult legends are made of. By that time Peterborough were jelly-legged and utterly petrified as wave after wave of pressure from Athletic arrived.

The contrast couldn’t have been sharper. Posh had looked so comfortable in the first half, they were virtually playing in their slippers.

Charlie MacDonald skied a presentable chance as Lee Johnson’s men nearly scored after only 17 seconds, but goals from Britt Assombalonga, Tommy Rowe and Lee Tomlin left Darren Ferguson’s side sitting pretty.

Danny Swanson fluffed two glorious chances to increase that lead further, with Harkins’ terrific cross from a free-kick which evaded everyone seemingly summing up an Athletic side that had mustered only four goals in six league games previously.

Then came the stunning comeback.

Harkins had pulled back the first goal three minutes into the second half. He then forever ruined the

reputation of Mark Little so much with one bit of skill that Posh’s right-back volunteered to be

substituted - that’s one explanation for his early exit, anyway – before teeing up David Worrall for the terrific finish.

After Jonathan Grounds had atoned for his horrific, bizarre error in handing Nicky Ajose Peterborough’s fourth goal, Harkins swanned up to clip home a penalty to level the game in the same incident that saw Lee Tomlin dismissed for a deliberate handball.

Tomlin had earlier forced another good stop from Mark Oxley on the break and at 4-4, Darren Ferguson was left in the extraordinary position of hoping his men could cling on for a point.

But like a boxer who had suffered a constant supply of wearying body punches, there was no fight left in the opposition.

Expensively-assembled Peterborough were by now a team completely terrified of Athletic’s sudden potency from the crossed ball.

Kusunga smashed home a left-footed shot from another corner before barrelling with his colleagues into a Chaddy End containing fans who had seen eight goals scored in front of them.

Pandemonium ensued and at full-time no one could quite believe that amazing result.