JOHN Sheridan was encouraged by the way Oldham Athletic went about their friendly with Wigan Athletic.
Results are of no real relevance at this stage of preparations. Noses would not be turned up at a win, of course, but what is of most significance is how the team looks. And what a difference a week has made.
From an underwhelming first outing at Bamber Bridge, Latics looked much more in tune in all areas, specifically team shape and synergy.
It led to them taking the lead in the first half. And while it did not stay that way, as Wigan got stronger as the game wore one while Latics decreased in age and experience, Sheridan had cause for optimism afterwards - and not just because of the takeover going into its latter stages this week.
There is still work to do on the training ground and in the transfer market. No team, at any level, is the finished article. But the progress, particularly in a short space of time, is pleasing.
And it did not go unacknowledged by the man tasked with trying to steer Latics back into the Football League at the first attempt.
“I was really pleased in the first half,” said manager Sheridan, who was able to field summer signing Chris Porter for the first time, but was without Jordan Clarke, Lois Maynard and trialist Dan Gardner, who impressed in the opening friendly.
“I know it’s a friendly. I knew they’d keep the ball, they’ve got good players possession wise and it’s a good workout for us for our fitness.
“We nullified them, they didn’t have many chances. We had some really good chances and scored a good goal. I didn’t think we scored as many goals as we should have in the first half. But I can take a lot of positives out of the game.
“It’s all about fitness at the end of the day. It’s just about the players getting as fit as they can.
“I said to the players at the start of pre-season it’s about impressing me, stay fit, get as fit as you can and want to be in the team for the first game.”
Facing a first season out of the Football League since entering it in 1907, Latics hosted a side on their way up in their first home warm-up game, and second of six in total.
When the teams met in similar pre-season circumstances a year ago, Wigan were in League One, having narrowly avoided dropping into League Two the season before.
Oldham gave a decent account of themselves that day, but ultimately the teams drifted further apart. While Latics suffered relegation to the National League after a turbulent time on - and off - the pitch, Leam Richardson orchestrated Wigan’s return to the Championship after a two-year exile, in which they survived the threat of relegation to League Two and came out of administration thanks to a takeover.
Yet on the first-half showing at Boundary Park you would not have imagined the gulf between the two sides.
Hallam Hope fired Oldham into a first half lead, with a really well taken goal - heading into an empty net in the 21st minute after he had flicked the ball over goalkeeper Ben Amos.
Their advantage could, and should, have been greater at the break. Jack Stobbs, in particular, should have done better with the chance that was presented to him late in the first half.
Predictably, Wigan improved after the break and equalised through James McClean’s low finish across Jayson Leutwiler, who had replaced Magnus Norman at the break.
McClean then set up former Oldham man Callum Lang to put the visitors in front on 72 minutes with his fourth goal from four friendlies.
Curtis Tilt made it 3-1 four minutes later as he got the slightest of touches to convert a corner.
In the final minute, Charlie Wyke was denied a fourth for Wigan, before - not for the first time - Mike Fondop and Junior Luamba combined effectively up front, but Luamba pulled a half-chance wide.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Norman (Leitwiler 46), Francis-Angol (Couto 71), Hogan (Vaughan 60), McGahey (Sutton 46), Stobbs, Porter (Trialist B 46), Burgess (Da Silva 73), Hope (Luamba 46), Sheron, Windass (Kilner 66), Trialist A (Fondop).
WIGAN ATHLETIC: Amos (Jones 46), McGrath (Lang 64), Whatmough (Darikwa 64), Kerr (Hughes 76), Bennett (Tilt 64), Pearce (McClean 46); Power (Smith 64), Shinnie (Carragher 81) ; Aasgaard (Robinson 76), Humphrys (Keane 46), Magennis (Wyke 46).
Subs not used: Tickle, Sze.
Attendance: 1,150 (204 away)
Next game: Bradford (Park Avenue) tomorrow, away, kick-off 7.45pm
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