Oldham Athletic 4-0 Hereford United
Stu Vose at Boundary Park
Goal-hungry Athletic fulfilled their pre-match billing as favourites with a four-goal salvo in a comprehensive victory over bottom side Hereford.
In the days leading up to the game, Boundary Park chief John Sheridan handed his side a warning not to take their foot off the pedal against the Bulls, and his side wrapped up their fourth home win of the season with an explosive first 45 minutes.
Poacher Lee Hughes got the ball rolling after just four minutes with a close-range finish before Andy Liddell slotted home his second goal in two games to open up a two-goal cushion with just quarter of an hour gone.
Hereford - still seeking their first away point - had their chances, but Daniel Jones thumped home his first goal in Latics colours to hand Athletic a three-goal lead on his way to a man-of-the-match award.
And midfielder Danny Whitaker put the icing on the cake with a cultured finish in second-half injury time after the home side had cued up a number of chances in the second period.
This victory is sure to boost confidence ahead of a mouth-watering clash next week when promotion favourites Leicester City visit Boundary Park.
The hosts went into the game knowing they had to secure maximum points in order to return to third spot in League One, and Hughes gave them the ideal start after just four minutes.
Hereford keeper Darren Randolph could only spill Jones' shot from the edge of the box straight into the path of the frontman, who promptly banged home the rebound from four yards out for his sixth goal of the season.
Toumani Diagouraga saw a shot charged down as the visitors tried to gain a foothold in the contest following the early blow, but Athletic were soon back on the attack through Hughes, whose deft 12th-minute header dropped just wide of the far post.
Hughes was finding plenty of time and space up front, and won a penalty on the quarter-hour when he beat Bruno N'Gotty on the turn to a long Mark Crossley clearance only to be tripped in the box by the French international.
Liddell stepped up and made no mistake, sending Randolph the wrong way from the spot for his fifth strike of the campaign.
Boss Sheridan sent a pre-match message that the Bulls should not be written off, and the visitors showcased their potential contribution as right-back Richard Jackson almost caught Crossley out with an ambitious lob which drifted just over the bar.
Then the veteran stopper was called into action from a rather closer range, turning away Bradley Hudson-Odoi's snapshot after the striker shook his defensive shackles eight yards out.
But Athletic were soon buzzing around at the other end once more as Taylor smashed a shot past the far post on 20 minutes and then thundered an effort into the keeper's midriff through a crowd of players.
When it came, though, the third goal - which came nine minutes before the break - was an absolute peach.
Taylor checked inside before threading a super ball down the left for the overlapping Jones. The marauding full-back needed no further invitation, comfortably outpacing all-comers before planting a low angled shot into the far corner of the goal.
Despite being three goals down, Hereford were still trying to play entertaining football and should have had a goal back just moments before the break. Kris Taylor's neat free-kick looked to be destined for the back of the net, but the ball struck the top of the crossbar and bounced harmlessly away.
The Latics camp were forced into a change in goal at the break as Greg Fleming took over in goal after Crossley eventually succumbed to an apparent back problem which troubled him in the latter stages of the first period.
N'Gotty hooked an early effort over the bar from a corner, and Fleming showed off his skills with an acrobatic tip-over from Steve Guinan's driven effort as the visitors started brightly.
Already a scorer at the other end, impressive new-boy Jones demonstrated his defensive qualities when he cleared Richard Rose's 52nd-minute cross out from underneath his own crossbar with sub Simon Johnson looking to poke the ball home.
However, Mark Allott served notice of the quality the hosts could serve up moments later when he let fly with a left-footed effort from fully 25 yards which flashed inches over the top.
Fleming was relieved to see a deflected effort from Rose fly over just after the hour, but Athletic finished the game strongly and created a barrage of chances in the final 20 minutes.
Randolph was forced to save well from Jones and Craig Davies, and Taylor was presented with a decent opening by a clever Davies pass but shot wide.
Sub Deane Smalley got in on the act when he drilled a low effort wide from the right-hand apex of the box with Randolph scrambling across his goal-line.
And the visitors were forced to play out the last ten minutes with only ten men when Stephen O'Leary was dismissed for a late challenge on Allott just a minute after bringing down Jones.
Smalley's downward header was gathered by Randolph, while both Kelvin Lomax and then Davies came close as Athletic looked to make their man advantage count and claim a fourth goal of the afternoon.
That they did in the final minute when Whitaker advanced unopposed into the box and clipped a shot beyond Randolph and in off the right-hand post to round off a productive afternoon.
Latics: Crossley (Fleming, 46), Lomax, Jones, Hazell, Byrne, Taylor, Liddell (Smalley, 62), Allott, Whitaker, Hughes (Alessandra, 78), Davies.
Subs Not Used: Maher, O'Grady.
Booked: Hazell (44).
Sent Off: None.
Scorers: Hughes (4), Liddell (pen 15), Jones (36), Whitaker (90).
Hereford: Randolph, Rose, Diagouraga, Taylor, Guinan, Hudson-Odoi (Johnson, 30), O'Leary, Jackson, Broadhurst, Williams, N'Gotty.
Subs Not Used: Samson, Smith, Chadwick, Beckwith.
Booked: O'Leary (81).
Sent Off: O'Leary (82).
Scorers: None.
Referee: Mr R Shoebridge
Assistant: Mr A Holmes
Assistant: Mr G Wallace
Fourth Official: Mr A Scregg
Att: 5,468 (334 away)
