Every game now a play-off – Deakin

STEVE DEAKIN has reiterated the need for Oldham to perform at the top of their game in every fixture between now and the end of the season.

With nine matches left to play in the National League Two campaign, the Roughyeds sit third in the table ahead Sunday’s trip to Workington Town. Deakin’s men are four points behind Gateshead – but with a game in hand – and six behind leaders Barrow.

Though many thoughts will be on the home-and-away fixtures against Doncaster and Barrow still to come, the Roughyeds coach is very mindful of the threat that Workington can pose.

“It will be difficult,” said Deakin. “We realise that though they have lost games, they have also put on a couple of good performances such as winning in London and beating Doncaster at home.

“We also know that if we want to go up automatically every game becomes a play-off game for us now.”

Craig Littler is struggling to make the trip to Cumbria. The centre is suffering with a stomach bug, but on the positive side Deakin can once again call on Marcus St Hilaire, missing last week with a pulled hamstring, and Gareth Langley, back from a one-match ban.

Meanwhile, Said Tamghart’s brother Mohammed will make his debut tomorrow afternoon for the reserves, who are also playing up in Workington. The 21-year-old centre is on trial at the club for a month.

Oldham (from): O’Connor, Cardiss, Nanyn, Onyango; Roden, Coyle, Boults, Joseph, Mervill, Hodson, Halliwell, Roberts, Brooks, Baines, Goulden, S Tamghart, St Hilaire, Langley.

Workington Town coach Dave Rotheram is hopeful that he will have Ryan Campbell and Mark Routledge back, but is missing the services of former Rochdale prop Ryan Benjafield (calf).

Rotheram said: “We haven’t played Oldham yet, so it’s nice for the first meeting to be at home.

“They’re a bit of an unknown to our boys – we haven’t seen a lot of them on video – but they’re a quality side.

“We’ll just worry about ourselves because I was very disappointed with how we applied ourselves with the ball last week, although we defended very bravely at times.”