Oldham frustrated by late Grimsby comeback

SkyBet League Two: Oldham Athletic 2-2 Grimsby Town

Oldham Athletic head coach Laurent Banide was left frustrated as his struggling side surrendered a 2-0 lead against play-off chasing Grimsby Town to draw 2-2 for the second successive game. 

The Latics, who shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller at Plymouth Argyle in their previous outing, were firmly in control at Boundary Park after goals from Christopher Missilou and Filipe Morais. 

But the Mariners produced a stirring fightback in the final 10 minutes as Jordan Cook struck before Ludvig Ohman's 90th-minute equaliser secured an unlikely point. 

Although Banide was satisfied with his side's display against a team who are now ninth in the table, he bemoaned the way the players managed the game late on and felt it was a bad result in the end. 

"I think we played well and we played better, but the problem is the lack of concentration when you're winning," the Frenchman told reporters after the match. 

"After 2-0 we must close out the game and we must start learning this quickly because we are always left frustrated. It's difficult when you are frustrated each game and I feel frustrated, but I think we should have scored a few more as well.

"We overplayed at 2-0, it allowed them more space and we gave away opportunities and the game. It's a bad result, but I like to look at our performance and we played a lot better, but we need points and only that." 

There were chances for both sides early on as James Hanson - League Two's Player of the Month for August - fired over the crossbar inside the penalty area for the visitors, before Missilou saw an overhead kick travel narrowly wide of the post as he met a looping ball into the box. 

But he found the target in the 19th minute to give the hosts the lead, slotting past Grimsby keeper James McKeown inside the six-yard box after Mohammed Maouche's corner was flicked into his path by Tom Hamer. 

The Latics, backed by a 3,789-strong crowd, almost doubled their advantage just before the break when Maouche met Dylan Fage's cross but couldn't direct his attempt on target.

Grimsby had the first chance of the second half as Jake Hessenthaler saw a shot from the edge of the box blocked by Latics captain David Wheater, who then saw a header at the other end go close from a cross. 

Oldham continued on the front foot, with Morais at the heart of everything good about the team. The midfielder advanced well down the left wing and his cross was cleared only as far as Johan Branger-Engone, whose strike went over the crossbar. 

Midway through the second half, they got the reward of a second goal as Morais got free to place a header into the bottom corner from a sumptuous cross from Desire Segbe Azankpo. 

It seemed to spark the visitors into life as chances began to come regularly. Moses Ogbu's angled drive was kept out smartly by Latics keeper Gary Woods but he was powerless in preventing Cook from slotting home Ogbu's cross to pull a goal back in the 81st minute. 

Ogbu should have scored himself when he was left free inside the box from a corner but he headed over the crossbar. 

However, as the game entered stoppage time, Michael Jolley's side found a dramatic leveller as defender Ohman popped up at the far post to head home and snatch a point for his team. 

It left Oldham 20th in the table with just one win from eight league games so far this term ahead of a crucial battle away to Scunthorpe United, who are second from bottom, on Tuesday night.