Wealdstone welcomed Oldham Athletic to Grosvenor Vale on 17 August 2024 in their English National League fixture, with both teams seeking to make an early-season statement. The home side, managed by Matty Taylor, looked to bounce back from their opening-day defeat, while Oldham Athletic, under the guidance of Micky Mellon, aimed to build on their winning start.
The match began with both teams feeling each other out, as the first half produced few clear-cut opportunities. However, the competitive nature of the contest was highlighted by two yellow cards in the opening 24 minutes, with Tom Conlon of Oldham Athletic and Kallum Cesay of Wealdstone both cautioned for fouls.
As the game progressed into the second half, Oldham Athletic started to gain more control, pushing for the opening goal. Their pressure eventually told in the 85th minute, as Deonysus Woodman inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, scoring an own goal that gave Oldham Athletic a crucial 1-0 lead.
The final stages of the match saw Wealdstone pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but their task was made more difficult when Christian Scott was sent off in the 95th minute for violent conduct, following a second yellow card. Despite being a man down, the home team continued to press, but Oldham Athletic’s defence held firm to secure a 1-0 victory.
- Goals: Deonysus Woodman (own goal, 85’) for Oldham Athletic.
- Yellow Cards: Tom Conlon (Oldham Athletic, 15’), Kallum Cesay (Wealdstone, 24’), Charlie Raglan (Oldham Athletic, 64’), Deonysus Woodman (Wealdstone, 93’), and Micah Obiero (Wealdstone, 97’).
- Red Card: Christian Scott (Wealdstone, 95’) for a second yellow card.
- Substitutions: Oldham Athletic made substitutions in the 61st minute (Josh Kay and Jake Caprice for Oli Hammond and Reagan Ogle), the 68th minute (Josh Lundstram for Dan Gardner), and the 87th minute (Mark Kitching for Jesurun Uchegbulam). Wealdstone made changes in the 67th minute (Jahmari Clarke for Max Kretzschmar), the 73rd minute (Christian Scott for Alex Dyer), the 88th minute (Micah Obiero for Kallum Cesay), and the 100th minute (Yacouba Traore for Deonysus Woodman).
- Attendance: 1,825 at Grosvenor Vale.
- Referee: Benjamin Wyatt.
Oldham Athletic’s victory moves them to the top of the table with six points from two matches, while Wealdstone remains at the bottom, still seeking their first points of the season. This result increases Oldham Athletic’s confidence, given their current standings and the win, also reflecting on their resilience and defensive solidity, as they navigated a challenging away fixture to emerge with all three points. For Wealdstone, the task now is to regroup and aim to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming fixtures, considering their early-season struggles and the head-to-head dynamics with their future opponents.