At Boundary Park, Oldham Athletic secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Hartlepool United in a National League encounter officiated by Sam Mulhall. The match was characterised by swift responses and tactical adjustments, resulting in a valuable three points for the home side.
The first half concluded with a flurry of activity. Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, assisted by Joe Grey, put Hartlepool ahead in the 39th minute. Oldham responded rapidly, with Charlie Raglan levelling the score just two minutes later, thanks to an assist from Tom Conlon. The half also saw David Ferguson of Hartlepool cautioned for a foul in the 20th minute, followed by Oldham’s Tom Pett, who received a yellow card in the 43rd minute, also for a foul.
Hartlepool manager Anthony Limbrick introduced Luke Waterfall in place of Tom Parkes at half-time, a defensive change intended to strengthen the team’s back line.
The second half maintained the intensity of the first. Jamie Miley of Hartlepool was shown a yellow card in the 50th minute. Oldham then took the lead in the 63rd minute through Mike Fondop-Talum, with Tom Conlon again providing the assist. Fondop-Talum received a yellow card shortly after scoring.
Hartlepool attempted to alter the course of the match with a triple substitution in the 73rd minute, bringing on Sam Folarin, Nicky Featherstone, and Adam Campbell for Luke Charman, Jamie Miley, and Gary Madine, respectively. Reyes Cleary also received a yellow card for Hartlepool in the 69th minute. Oldham responded in the 84th minute by replacing Vimal Yoganathan and Tom Conlon with Corry Evans and Josh Lundstram. Shaun Hobson of Oldham was booked in the 76th minute. In the 90th minute, Oldham’s Joe Garner replaced Kian Harratt and received a yellow card in added time.
The match ended with Oldham winning 2-1. Oldham Athletic’s victory moves them to fourth in the National League table with 69 points from 43 games, solidifying their playoff position. Hartlepool United remain in 11th place with 56 points, and this defeat impacts their playoff aspirations. Oldham, despite a prior three-game losing streak, have now scored in their last two matches. Hartlepool’s six-game unbeaten run comes to an end, although they had scored in their previous seven matches.