Welcome to today's issue of BOUNDARY BULLET-zine The Daily On-line e-zine for 122 Oldham Athletic Supporters Worldwide Today's Edition for

19th December 1999

Today's Headlines

Latics get the ABBEY Habit

From the PRESS ASSOCIATION


CAMBRIDGE 2 OLDHAM 3
Two more goals from Martin Butler were not enough to save struggling Cambridge from another defeat as they slipped nearer relegation. Butler led his team back into contention with goals in the 43rd and 72nd minutes, equalising the efforts from Oldham's Mark Allott in the 11th minute and Neil Adams in the 34th. But it was Oldham who dominated most of the play up to that stage and they got the reward for going for victory instead of settling for an away point. Skipper Lee Duxbury outjumped the young Cambridge defence from John Sheridan's 78th minute corner to ram in a close range header. It would have been rough justice for Oldham if Cambridge had snatched a point in the dying seconds. Trevor Benjamin beat the keeper with a fierce drive but Sheridan was in the right place to block the ball on the goal line.

Teamtalk Oldham


CAMBRIDGE	2	v	3	OLDHAM	FULL TIME
Butler 43				Allott 11
Butler 72				Adams 34
				Duxbury 78

15:00:00 Kickoff
Ref: R. J. Beeby

Cambridge: Marshall, Kavanagh, Joseph (Eustace 79), Wilson, Wanless, Butler, Benjamin, Taylor, Ashbee (Mustoe 67), MacKenzie (Preece 84), McNeil Subs not used: Van Heusden, Youngs
Yellow Cards: Taylor (83)

Oldham: Kelly, McNiven, S, Holt, Garnett, Whitehall (Dudley 71), Duxbury, Rickers, Sheridan, Allott (Tipton 90), Hotte, Adams Subs not used: Miskelly, Innes, Jones
Yellow Cards: Duxbury (37), Garnett (55)

Attendance - 3,162

Oldham overcome gritty U's

Goals from Mark Allott, Neil Adams and Lee Duxbury ensured a 3-2 win for Oldham against gritty Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium. The Latics made an excellent start to this clash against lowly Cambridge, taking the lead on just 11 minutes. Neil Adams long ball forward found Mark Allott. The striker ran on and fired home from 10 yards. Oldham went close to doubling their advantage just before the half hour mark as Mark Allott got onto the end of Lee Duxbury's cross from the right, but Cambridge keeper Marshall saved well from Allott's strike. The Latics did make it two on 34 minutes. Andrew Holt provided the ammunition as his cross into the area was met by Neil Adams, his fierce header beating Marshall in the U's goal. Oldham were good value for their two goal lead looking by far the better of the two sides, but as the break approached Cambridge grabbed a goal back. That goal came from a Martin Butler free-kick, the striker hammering home a low shot past Gary Kelly into the Latics goal. Cambridge came out all guns blazing in the second half as they looked to get something out of the game. They created a host of chances with Trevor Benjamin and Jason Kavagnagh both going close, while McNeil saw an effort blocked. It was not one way traffic though as winger Paul Rickers tested the Cambridge keeper, while beforehand John Sheridan had fired wide from a corner. But on 72 minutes the goal that Cambridge had seemingly been threatening arrived. Oldham did not fully clear their lines from a Taylor cross and Martin Butler was on hand to strike home his and Cambridge's second of the game. It looked as though all the good work Oldham had produced for the majority of the first half may be going to waste, but with twelve minutes remaining Lee Duxbury re-established the Latics lead. The midfielder made it 3-2 as his header from a John Sheridan corner from the right found the back of the net.

U's net (Cambridge) Cambridge United came back from a two goal deficit for the first time since playing Brentford in September, but it was all in vain as Oldham took advantage of a poor U's performance to take all the points. Martin Butler's goal before half-time provided a platform for a rampaging second half but after pulling the score back to 2-2 United conceded a third, only to almost snatch an undeserved point at the death.

Roy McFarland named an unchanged side to face Oldham in the league for the first time in 15 years, with the only change to the 16 who were on duty against Crystal Palace being Neil Mustoe on the bench instead of Alex Russell.

United got off to a poor start, looking nothing like the side who dominated Palace eight days ago. The early action saw a fifth minute free kick from the veteran John Sheridan glanced wide by Lee Duxbury, and in the eighth minute Neil Mackenzie's snap shot from the edge of the area was comfortably wide. A minute later Jason Kavanagh played a good ball in to John Taylor whose shot on the turn was well held by Kelly, but after just 11 minutes the visitors drew first blood through Mark Allott. Neil Adams' 30 yard through ball found Allott looking suspiciously offside, but the young striker made progress before firing past Marshall to end a barren spell.

After 18 minutes the defence were caught flat-footed as Allott picked up possession, he crossed to the far post and seemed to have put Whitehall in for a simple tap-in but Marc Joseph made a vital interception. Two minutes later Allott thought he had made it 2-0 when he thumped the ball home after the defence failed to clear Sheridan's free kick, but United were rescued by the linesman's flag. Then seconds later in the 21st minute Ian Ashbee's lob into the box bounced tantalisingly in front of Trevor Benjamin but Kelly held his nerve and bravely claimed the ball.

United were having a nightmare, especially down the right where Oldham were running Clive Wilson ragged, and there were gaps everywhere as the visitors threatened make hay. In the 29th minute Duxbury beat the offside trap down the right and his cross found Allott 12 yards out, but his first time shot was brilliantly parried by Shaun Marshall. Moments later it was Whitehall's turn to get away down the right as the flag stayed down, but his cross was tipped off Duxbury's toe by Marshall.

Oldham had been completely dominant and the only surprise was that the scoreline was only 2-0 when Hotte's 34th minute cross from the left was headed over Marshall by Lee Duxbury. But as the half wound down a goal from nothing handed United an unexpected lifeline. A free kick 20 yards out was tapped to Martin Butler who fired a rasping drive through the wall and past Kelly, and the pressure was on Oldham for the closing stages.

With a minute left Mackenzie found Butler on the edge of the area but his shot was cleared by a defender, then a Marc Joseph long throw found Benjamin in the box but he was crowded out by two defenders, and then in the minute of time added on Taylor met Mackenzie's free kick with a stooping header that was cleared. (Half-time 1-2)

United were attacking the Newmarket Road End after the break and made their usual bright start to the second half. Ashbee's 51st minute corner was cleared as far as Jason Kavanagh but the defender's 25 yard shot was always rising. Oldham countered with a short corner routine in the 54th minute that ended with Sheridan firing just wide. Then in the 62nd minute Ashbee's corner was met by a towering header from Trevor Benjamin that he placed off target.

Four minutes later Sheridan's clever free kick found Rickers in acres of space 25 yards out, his first time shot bounced awkwardly in front of Marshall as he went down to collect the ball and the young 'keeper recovered well to make a good sprawling save. Neil Mustoe then entered the fray in place of Ashbee and moments later Mackenzie placed a deep cross onto the head of Paul Wanless, who had stolen unmarked into the box, but he only guided the ball into the goalkeeper's arms.

United scored their second unexpected and barely deserved goal after 72 minutes when a right wing cross found its way to Martin Butler who steered the ball inside the far post for his 17th of the season. Oldham broke away from the re-start and forced a brave save from Shaun Marshall before the ball was cleared, and as the pace of the game picked up the visitors exerted some severe pressure. Marc Joseph led the rearguard with a good block from Rickers in the 76th minute but it was in vain as two minutes later Sheridan's corner kick found Duxbury at the far post and he scored Oldham's third.

Bizarrely Marc Joseph was then almost immediately replaced by Scott Eustace before a couple of late key incidents. In the 81st minute the ball bounced up in the area and Wanless appeared to push it away with his hand, but despite Oldham's loud appeals a penalty was not given. Then in the 93rd minute, with United chasing the game, Oldham failed to clear a corner and Mustoe hit a shot from the edge of the area which hit Benjamin. He turned and fired in a shot in one movement but Sheridan was in the right place to produce a vital and heart-breaking block on the line.

It was a game which United had all but handed to Oldham in the first half, and to be only two goals down before Butler scored his first was flattering in the extreme. The balance of power swung back and forth in the second half and Benjamin almost snatched a point at the end, but most fans will be wondering why striker Tom Youngs stayed on the bench while Roy McFarland tinkered with his midfield and defence.

Reporter Mark Johnson's man of the match was Martin Butler: "The difference - he raises the class of the side."

Contributions and letters should be sent to Gary Davies by e-mail at [email protected]The views expressed on this e-zine are not the views of Oldham Athletic F.C. nor necessarily the views of the EditorThe editor will not publish any letters containing bad languageThis e-zine is written using Microsoft Outlook Express

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws