MORE MISERY FOR MELLON AS LATICS ARE HELD BY DALE

Hope of play-offs face new setback

- Alex Thrower

OLDHAM ATHLETIC boss Micky Mellon cut a frustrated figure after his side’s drab derby draw against Rochdale.

After the reverse fixture finished in a dramatic 4-3 Latics victory in October – Mellon’s first at the club – many expected another classic at Boundary Park.

But it proved anything but with a rather dour affair highlighted only by Hallam Hope’s early opener for the hosts, cancelled out by Sam Mather’s leveler from a well-worked corner.

It’s now nine matches without a win for Mellon’s men, who now find themselves four points off the play-off places.

“We dominated the second half without finding the goal,” Mellon moaned.

“We seemed to just lack that cutting edge or bit of individual quality to help us get the win. We had to make changes, there has been a bit of illness in the squad this week. '

“But the goal we conceded, although clever, is poor from our point of view, there are enough bodies in the area for us to do a lot better.