Oldham boss insists he has not surrendered title hopes

Speaking to broadcaster TNT Sports minutes after James Norwood had rescued a point in stoppage time Unsworth said: "I think it shows that we can compete with the best.

"Make no mistake about it, Chesterfield are the best team in the league and probably will win the league.

"We are early days, but I think that statement is probably true.”

Was the Latics boss really conceding defeat in the title race at this early stage of the season? Or was it more a case of mind games to put all the attention, and indeed the pressure, on Chesterfield?

This writer - along with a number of Latics fans - suspects the latter.

But even some of those who appreciate the reasons behind the sentiment find themselves frustrated by having the hopes and expectation that after years, if not decades of disappointment, they were finally able to carry through pre-season dashed just four games into the campaign, and on the back of a euphoric moment.

Unsworth, though, insists he has not waved the white flag.

"I think people have taken that as if to say I don't want us to win the league. What I'm saying is, if we finish above Chesterfield, we are winning the league," he explained.

"Do I think Chesterfield are winning the league? Probably.

"Do I think we've got a great chance of getting promoted? Yes.

"I think everybody realises Oldham are a really good team, and my job is to make sure is that those players will be playing with a freedom to do their best and get results.

"We have just gone toe to toe with Chesterfield; frustrated them. The stats are in our favour, other than possession. We had the best chances of the game, they have double the budget that we have, they are two or three years further down the line in terms of their club being cleansed and then built.

"We won there last year, we got a point there this year. They are a goalscoring machine and for us to only give them one proper opportunity in 90-odd minutes, it's the perfect away day performance."

He added: "Somebody said to me if that was a European performance by a team it would have been a masterclass.

"If any team goes and plays open expansive football against Chesterfield, particularly at Chesterfield, they'll get tonked. Now, I don't want to get beat. That's not being negative, it's being clever. We frustrated them, the players were brilliant to execute a gameplan for 96 minutes, and we got our reward so brilliant, move on, next game."

Boreham Wood awaits, and Latics will head to southern Hertfordshire with their confidence garnered by a gameplan that came off.

They were comfortable letting Chesterfield have the ball, and resilient enough to restrict what the Spireites did with it.

Playing on the counter attack brought the game's first real opportunity James Norwood's way, although the angles made it a tricky one for the striker to execute and he nodded Mark Kitching's left wing cross wide of the near post.

At the other end Mat Hudson collected a header from Ryan Colclough, before Branden Horton fired over from 10 yards or so.

Another opportunity fell to Norwood as half-time approached. His eyes lit up in a one-on-one with Harry Tyrer but, after staying onside, his lob cleared the keeper and the bar, while Kurt Willoughby, on his full debut, had a shot saved by Tyrer after the re-start.

Chesterfield eventually made their possession count on the hour, albeit not without controversy.

A foul on Liam Hogan was overlooked and the Spireites were awarded a corner, with Ashley Palmer heading in Liam Mandeville's delivery.

Will Grigg missed a chance to double their lead and Mandeville hit the crossbar direct from a corner as the clock ticked down.

Latics kept ticking over, and kept going, and got their rewards in stoppage time.

Substitute Dan Gardner's drive was spilled by Tyrer, and Norwood pounced.

The players' celebrations, and the game, were brought to an abrupt end as fans poured onto the pitch from the away end in celebration, and relief.