Oldham vs Cheltenham Predictions

It has been a season of two sides for Oldham Athletic. Unbeaten in the league on the road, whereas at home, they have only won twice and have lost their last two. The most recent was the weekend game against Port Vale. Although Oldham had more of the chances, Port Vale largely suppressed their attacks effectively and took their chance when they got a penalty in the first-half, holding on after that for all three points.

The game before that had seen Oldham thumped 3-1 by another inconsistent side, Carlisle. The team were dominated from start to finish and deserved to lost the match. A consolation goal from Ishmael Miller at least reduced the score-line, however, it marked the end of a terrible week from the club. It was reported that players are threatening strike action over unpaid wages and it can be argued that this turmoil has affected the last two performances.

However, if that dispute can be settled, Oldham have a strong squad that could easily challenge for the play-offs. Goalkeeper Daniel Iversen has put in a number of good shifts in the games, whilst George Edmundson looks a real prospect for the club at the back. Jose Baxter and Chris O’Grady provide the experience in attack, so there is a clear core to the team. If their off-field problems can be sorted out, the team may be able to play more freely at home.

Cheltenham manager Michael Duff still hasn’t won a game yet, however, he secured his best result yet over the weekend with an away draw at Forest Green Rovers. In the Gloucestershire derby, Cheltenham took the lead after Tyrone Barnett got his first for the club in a rebound from a saved penalty by Luke Varney. Cheltenham matched a side who had been impressive all season but conceded with 15 minutes to go to share the points. Despite this, manager Duff can take a lot of positives from the performance.

The match marked Cheltenham finally matching their performance with a point. It can be said that Duff had a tough run-in to start off with, facing the three sides who now occupy the play off places, MK Dons, Exeter and Lincoln. They competed well in most of them, with late goals in the games against MK Dons and Lincoln seeing them off, whilst they took the lead against Exeter. However, they ended up conceded eight times in the matches, scoring only once and showed their lack of confidence in capitulating in the second-half.

Moreover, in the games they were expected to win, the team also bottled it. They could only draw at home in the matches against Crewe and Morecambe. These were vital fixtures in Cheltenham’s battle against relegation, yet they could not finish their chances against Crewe and allowed Morecambe to take the lead twice and thus the initiative. Whilst the match against Forest Green Rovers was positive, there is still a lot of work for Michael Duff to do.

Indeed, we think Cheltenham could get something from this match after their promising display against Forest Green. Oldham look weak at home and especially so now in the midst of potential player strikes. They still have enough quality in the team to do damage to Cheltenham though, so backing both teams to score in this match is a smart bet. In terms of a correct score, Cheltenham still do not look strong enough to win a game, particularly away from home, so going for a 1-1 draw seems appropriate and would be a result both managers could be happy with.