THERE was a sumo wrestler, Super Mario, a banana and a handful of people in Mexican dress, but in the main the Oldham Athletic fans who travelled to their last away game of the season - and last in League Two for now - were dressed in black.

It was a symbol of mourning the loss of their Football League status for the first time since entering it 115 years ago.

They have a proud history. But there has been little to be proud of this season, and for the most part - against a Tranmere side that boasts the best home record in League Two and was making one last big push for the play-offs - Latics struggled to play for what was the only thing left. Pride. With nothing much but that at stake, apart from perhaps the chance for players to earn a new deal at Boundary Park - or elsewhere - it was not a spectacle from a Latics perspective and a game that they struggled to get into.

But John Sheridan was filled with pride at their remarkable following.

To their credit around 1,000 made the journey to Prenton Park, and they sang from start to finish.

"Here's to you Johnny Sheridan, Oldham loves you more than you will know," they chanted.

It's fair to say he has a rough idea. And the sentiment is reciprocated. So much so that Sheridan admitted to feeling "absolutely sick" before the game, knowing Latics fans would be there in their hundreds for what was nothing more than a dead rubber to the team.

But after last week's second-half pitch invasion at Boundary Park, which caused a near two-hour delay to the game re-starting, police and stewarding was ramped up for the away end, with Tranmere drafting in extra crowd monitoring support from nearby Everton.

A club statement ahead of the game addressed the home fans, but you sensed there was a message in there for visiting fans too.

"At the end of today’s match the Tranmere players would like to thank the SWA for their support during this campaign. We understand the Oldham players would equally like to acknowledge their fans, in what will be their last League away match for a while," it read.

"In both cases this can only happen if fans stay off the pitch.

"Every Tranmere fan knows the pain of losing League status, as it was not many years ago that our own hearts were broken as we lost ours after almost 100 years. We know, better than many, how much it hurts. Oldham may be a local rival but it is local rivalries upon which the best and most atmospheric games are based. Losing another old club into non-league is not a cause for celebration.

"Without emotion, football is nothing but we want to make sure that the emotion does not spill over into crowd trouble, whatever the outcome. We are a family club and we want Prenton Park to be a safe place for all. So whilst we welcome the atmosphere that two noisy sets of fans can bring, please stay off the pitch."

Only one encroached from the away end, after Tranmere's second goal went in, with Kane Hemmings adding to Josh Hawkes first-half strike, with both players capitalising on some feeble defending.

The fan was guided off by defender Peter Clarke. In the presence of a former Latics' favourite, he duly obliged, before being escorted out of the ground completely.

It was hard for Oldham supporters, watching the opposition playing for something positive and taking another step closer.

But Tranmere's story is one of hope for them.

In staying on for another season Sheridan has targeted an immediate return. It took the Wirral club three years to bounce back after dropping into the National League in 2015. But they have not looked back and even enjoyed a period in League One after back-to-back promotions under Micky Mellon, who returned last summer for a second spell in charge.

Tranmere ended their relegation season on a run that is not too dissimilar to Oldham's with a succession of defeats.

Fans will hope to see light at the end of the tunnel, like Tranmere did.

But right now the mood among the majority is as bleak and black as Saturday's matchday outfits, and their fear is it will remain so under the current regime - no matter who is in charge of the first team, regardless of the affection they have for Sheridan.