Oldham Athletic v Reading

8^th May 1999

The final match of the 1998-99 Division Two season was a huge one for, Oldham Athletic. In 1994 they'd been relegated from the Premier League, three years later another drop and on May 8^th 1999 they faced a third relegation in 5 years and a return to the basement they'd last escaped in 1971.

Andy Ritchie's men, a week earlier, had lost 3-1 at Walsall to drop to 22^nd place in the table, a midweek win at home to Stoke City, 1-0, meant that everything rested on the final day of the season.

The bottom of the table saw Macclesfield Town already relegated on 43, they lost at home to Bristol Rovers, the other three drop slots were occupied by Lincoln City (46 points, home to Wycombe), Northampton (47 points, home to Burnley) and Oldham, who were on 48 points and were due to play Reading at Boundary Park. Just above them and catchable were Wycombe, on goal difference, they were at Lincoln, and York City, on 50 points but facing a trip to Manchester City.

The two Mark's, Innes and Allott, both lined up for The Latics, Allott had been a regular that season as was top scorer, albeit with only 8 goals, whilst Innes had generally been a bit part player after getting injured on the opening day of the season against Notts County.

There were many permutations and combinations that could have occurred, but basically Oldham had to win and hope Man City beat York. City were definitely in the play offs but couldn't win automatic promotion. An Oldham win would mean a Lincoln victory v Wycombe was preferable at Sincil Bank in case York surprised at Maine Road.

Oldham started in the best possible manner. With 7724 at Boundary Park and just 5 minutes on the clock, Lee Duxbury threw in long, the ball fell for Mark Innes who left footed the ball which deflected off Andy Bernal past keeper Scott Howie to give the then 20 year old Scot his first ever League goal. His second didn't come until he signed for Chesterfield.

Two minutes later, at Sixfields, Northampton took the lead against Burnley, not good news for Oldham, but no disastrous as they were winning themselves.

Duxbury was carried off with a head wound and home keeper Gary Kelly made a great save from Darren Caskey before vital news from Maine Road, Paul Dickov scored after 23 minutes to put York a goal down. Things were going well. As that news filtered through, it got even better at Oldham, a 27^th minute goal from Paul Rickers, a header from a Paul Reid cross which went in off the post made it 2-0 to Oldham. The Reading players were incensed, their man Barry Hunter fell to the ground with a head injury in the build up but referee Roger Furnandiz waved play on and the goal was scored.

At half time, an imaginary table saw Macclesfield, who at that time were ahead, on 46 points, Lincoln on 47, Wycombe on 49. York and Northampton were tied on 50 with Oldham clear on 51 points. However everyone had 45 more minutes to play.

No change at Oldham, little happening elsewhere until Paul Cook's penalty levelled it at Northampton for Burnley, good news for Latics, on 76 minutes, even better news, Kevin Horlock made it Man City 2 York 0, so barring a Reading (or a York) comeback, things looked good for Ritchie's Athletic.

Goals galore in the final 10 minutes around the Country kept the calculators busy at Boundary, but two of the late goals were in favour of Manchester City, job done there by the neighbours, Northampton took the lead only for Burnley to level again and Paul Emblen grabbed a last gasp winner for Wycombe which could have been crucial in another set of circumstances.

So a 2-0 win, Mark Innes' first ever senior goal (and he was also booked for dissent), Mark Allott ended as top scorer that season and Oldham finished up two places and one point above a drop zone of York, Northampton, Lincoln and Macclesfield. A big match with the right ending for this afternoon's visitors.

Teams:

Oldham: Kelly, Orlygsson, Holt, Garnett, Thom, Duxbury (Salt), Innes, Sheridan, Allott, Beavers (Sugden), Reid (McNiven)

Reading: Howie, Maybury (Evers), Bernal, Parkinson, Hunter, Casper, Houghton, Caskey, McIntyre, Scott, Gray (Stamp)