Looking to end their three-year absence from the EFL, Oldham Athletic commence their National League playoff campaign with the hosting of Halifax Town on Wednesday night at Boundary Park.
The Latics and the Shaymen meet in the quarter-finals of this competition due to their league finishes, meaning that they are both three victories away from promotion to League Two.
Match preview
![Oldham Athletic Manager Micky Mellon is managing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024. [on August 18, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/micky-mellon.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Oldham Athletic Manager Micky Mellon is managing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024. [on August 18, 2024]")
© Imago
Following a 23rd-placed finish in League Two during the 2021-22 campaign, former Premier League side Oldham suffered a sobering drop out of the EFL, with two years of mid-table mediocrity in the National League next up, before Wednesday's hosts booked their spot in the playoffs at the third attempt.
The Latics come into this quarter-final clash in good immediate form courtesy of their antics last Monday afternoon, when former Preston North End marksman Joe Garner scored his first two goals for the club to defeat bottom side Ebbsfleet United, ending the veteran's 13-game drought in the fifth tier.
Despite winning just two of their last seven fifth-tier battles of the regular season, Oldham comfortably qualified for a top-seven finish in the end, placing fifth in the National League standings after 46 rounds, six points ahead of North-East outfit Gateshead in eighth.
Micky Mellon's troops are in excellent form at their Boundary Park base heading into Wednesday's all-important hosting of Halifax, with the Latics losing just one of their last six games at the venue, including back-to-back triumphs over Hartlepool United and Ebbsfleet most recently.
A staple at the top end of the pitch for Oldham since their relegation from the Football League in 2022, Mike Fondop-Talum is enjoying his best-ever goalscoring season, with the troublesome 31-year-old netting 16 times and providing five assists across 42 National League appearances.
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Whilst Oldham were dispatching Ebbsfleet at a canter last time out, Halifax were fighting in the heat of a relegation-avoiding scenario at Grosvenor Vale, where Wealdstone's 3-1 victory over the visitors ensured that the former would be playing National League football next season.
Losing three of their last five league matches during the regular season, the Shaymen ended up one place and three points below Oldham in the National League table, meaning that the Latics have home-field advantage for a tie which must be settled on the night at Boundary Park.
Extraordinarily, Chris Millington's men have made the playoffs despite scoring just 50 goals across their 46 fifth-tier fixtures, with only whipping boys Ebbsfleet (38) managing fewer strikes in the entire division, highlighting a potential weakness for Oldham to exploit in this match
As a result, the Shaymen's Golden Boot race has hardly been a thrilling event during the 2024-25 campaign, with Andrew Oluwabori leading the goalscoring charts boasting six fifth-tier strikes, despite the 23-year-old transferring to Exeter City of League One in February.
Oldham and Halifax have already met twice at Boundary Park this season, with both matches ending in victory for the hosts, who secured a 4-2 FA Cup win in October before taking care of business against the Shaymen in the National League on March 22, when Fondop-Talum and Kian Harratt found the scoresheet.
Team News
© Imago
After keeping a clean sheet against already-relegated Ebbsfleet last time out, Oldham should stick with a centre-back pairing of captain Charlie Raglan and Reagan Ogle.
Garner is set to keep his spot in the side after netting a brace last week, meaning that Harratt is likely to lose his place to Fondop-Talum in attack.
The hosts have plenty of quality in reserve, including Corry Evans, who was plying his trade for Sunderland in the Championship as recently as last season.
A number of Halifax youngsters who started the Wealdstone defeat are preparing to drop out of the XI for this quarter-final clash, including Dubem Eze, Owen Bray and Zac Emmerson.
Skipper Adam Senior will continue in defence, whilst Ryan Galvin, Jamie Cooke and Thomas are expecting promotions from the bench on Wednesday night.
Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:
Hudson; Sutton, Raglan, Ogle, Kitching; Pritchard, Yoganathan, Pett, Rossiter; Fondop-Talum, Garner
Halifax Town possible starting lineup:
Savin; Galvin, Sutcliffe, Senior; Tarima, Pugh, Hoti, Alimi-Adetoro; Cooke, Jenkins, Thomas
We say: Oldham Athletic 2-1 Halifax Town
Having already beaten Halifax twice at Boundary Park this season, Oldham should be confident of repeating the trick to reach the semi-finals of the playoffs.
The Shaymen were shaky on the road at Wealdstone last time out, and we feel that the low-scorers will fall just short on Wednesday night, ending their dreams of League Two football next term.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
