Early Carabao Cup exit for Latics

After a three-year absence, Latics exited the Carabao Cup before this season’s competition had properly begun, losing 3-1 at Accrington Stanley.

Manager Micky Mellon made seven changes to the side that drew 0-0 at MK Dons on the opening day of their EFL season.

Tom Donaghy, Will Sutton, Kieron Morris, Luke Hannant, Josh Hawkes, Kian Harratt and Oli Hammond all came into the starting line-up.

But despite a lively opening 10 minutes for Latics, Mellon must have been ruing making such wholesale changes, Accrington took advantage of sloppy defending from the visitors, scoring twice inside seven minutes with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

The first Accy goal came on 10 minutes in their first attack of the game when Kelsy Mooney picked out the unmarked Anjola Popoola to score easily past Donaghy from close range.

Minutes later, the Latics net was bulging again but that was rightly ruled out for handball in the build up.

But the home side didn’t have to wait long to double their lead – a free kick was played deep to the Latics back post, headed back across goal and Mooney finished easily past Donaghy.

That effectively ended the game as a contest and any hopes that the travelling Latics’ fans had – and they outnumbered the Accrington fans in the 2,042 attendance – of getting back into the game were completely finished 10 minutes before half time when Josh Woods rifled in the third.

To compound the Latics misery, Donaghy dislocated a finger in the build up to that goal, with Matt Hudson coming on in his place.

Latics did battle harder after the break and were rewarded when Reagan Ogle’s deflected shot looped over the Accy keeper with half an hour to go.

But it was far too little and far too late to affect the tie and Accrington easily held on to progress to the first round proper – a home game with Peterboro next week.

After the game, Mellon could barely hide his frustration.

“We didn’t compete, we didn’t win enough of the necessary stuff," he said.

"We need to win the aerial battles and the knock downs.

"We gave away some silly goals.

"We need to take responsibility and do better.

"The goals were shocking. We did more in the second half, but it was too late then.

"We did make changes and we left out some characters that don’t allow that performance to happen but that’s no excuse.

"I want the ones that come in show me that they want to scrap, to play in a successful Oldham team.

"We started to win headers and knockdowns in the second half but it was too late.

"We were too milky in the first half.

"We want to be a squad team but we may have to look at that again.

"I am just so disappointed that our big players didn’t drive us on and win their battles.

"We will improve for Saturday”.

Latics' next two matches are both home games with Colchester United the visitors to Boundary Park on Saturday, followed by Swindon Town the following weekend.

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