Oldham 1 - Bristol Rovers 1
An away draw for the Gas at Boundary Park
Rovers returned home from Boundary Park with a point this afternoon after a hard working and spirited performance.
Having taken a first half lead through Will Hoskins, they were unable to add further goals, especially when the home side looked distinctly put of sorts at the back.
An equaliser just a minute before half time set up a pulsating second half and although Oldham enjoyed a great deal of possession, most of their goal attempts flew wide of the target.
Hoskins, who had an outstanding game, was twice denied by saves from Dean Brill and also saw another effort hit the crossbar before being cleared to safety.
Manager Paul Trollope made three changes to his starting lineup for this game.
Goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen, who played in the second half of the Danish U-21's 1-1 draw with Lithuania yesterday, was unable to get a connecting flight back to the UK, so his place went to Mike Green who was making his league debut for Rovers.
Carl Regan returned to the side at right back, a move that saw Byron Anthony move to the heart of defence where he partnered Danny Coles in place of James Tunnicliffe, who dropped to the bench.
In midfield, Wayne Brown's ankle injury ruled him out and so Dominic Blizzard returned to the side.
Loan striker John Akinde, with the benefit of a full week of training behind him, took his place on the bench.
Although he home side created a chance after just three minutes, which saw Jean-Yves M'voto head wide of the target, it was Rovers who had the better of the opening exchanges and they took a seventh minute lead courtesy of Will Hoskins.
The goal came about following a disastrous attempt by M'voto to head the ball back to a fellow defender. Hoskins read what was happening, picked up the loose ball and, seeing Dean Brill off his line, chipped the ball over the keeper's head from 25 yards.
A long range effort from Oumare Tounkara was all that Oldham could manage in response and they looked uneasy every time Rovers attacked.
A long range Jo Kuffour shot drifted wide of goal, but the home side gradually eased their way back into things and goalkeeper Mike Green had to be at his best on 28 minutes when he dived to his left to palm a free kick from skipper Dale Stephens behind for a corner.
Stephens then hit a free kick, as well as a long range effort, over the bar and the skipper was involved in the build up to his side's equaliser a minute before half time. His free kick found Chris Taylor, who swept a right foot shot beyond Green from twelve yards.
Oldham wasted a golden opportunity to go in with a half time lead but Rodrigue Dikaba somehow managed to head wide from just three yards following a pinpoint cross from Paul Black.
M'voto went close at the start of the second half, when he headed wide of the target and Green then did well to palm away a corner from the right.
Tounkara headed wide when presented with a free header from another corner and Chris Taylor hit a shot over and had another blocked before a break by Hoskins almost brought a goal from Rovers. However Brill pulled off a fine save to deny the striker a second goal.
The keeper produced another excellent save from Hoskins again when he touched his left foot effort behind for a corner.
Enjoying something of a purple patch, the striker then saw yet another effort hit the underside of the bar before being hacked to safety.
The home side hit back and there were further chances that flew either high or wide of the mark and Rovers were reduced to ten men with five minues of the game remaining.
Danny Coles, who had been booked in the first half, brought down Dean Kelly and was booked again, which led to a red card.
Amazingly, there were eight minutes of added time and both sides could have won the game in the final minute.
John Akinde did well to cut inside M'voto and get a shot away. It ricocheted off the defender and seemed to be heading for the top corner but Brill appeared from nowhere to touch the ball away.
Stephens had the final say when another of his trademark free kicks struck the bar and went behind for a goal kick.
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