Oldham Athletic fan's column: Cruise control in Tamworth win

The Lambs were well and truly silenced throughout the 90 minutes with James Norwood scoring the perfect hat-trick in a rampant first half display and Josh Kay completing the rout with a fantastic strike in the final quarter.

Norwood, of course, took the headlines as well as the matchball and he was indeed outstanding. He had the bit between his teeth and not only threatened at every opportunity going forward but also did his duties at the back too regularly clearing set pieces into the box in his position at the front post.

He couldn’t do it alone though and Josh Stones had an excellent 52 minutes, despite being targeted by the officials. He really is the perfect foil for Norwood and if they can both stay fit, it will mean only one thing and that is goals.

Mention has to be made of Jake Caprice, who had his best game in blue so far as he struck fear into the heart of the Tamworth left back every time he got the ball and fizzed across goal any number of superb crosses, which just needed a touch.

Finally, I have to discuss Sam Clucas who ran the midfield, ably assisted by the excellent Josh Lundstram and skipper Tom Conlon.

Josh Lundstram impressed in midfield against Tamworth (Image: Phill Smith)

Clucas kept everything ticking over throughout the game and was like a Rolls Royce in the middle of the park. I think he only gave the ball away once and he also did an outrageous dummy to set up Caprice to cross for the third to add to a fantastic array of passing and a performance of sheer quality overall.

On my near four-hour car journey home due to a closure of the M62, I had plenty of time to reflect on the match some more and perhaps the most impressive thing was that it didn’t look like we had really got out of third gear, such was the way we eased to victory.

It is extremely exciting to think that a performance like that, yielding a result like that, wasn’t even hitting the heights that we can reach.

I really do think that we can perform even better and those performances will come against the leading sides in the division when the likes of Norwood, Clucas and Lundstram will be able to use all their know-how and quality against a better quality of opposition.

With a gap opening up between the top five and the rest, Saturday’s derby at Rochdale takes on an even greater importance as it gives us the opportunity to make that gap even wider as well as of course give us the local bragging rights in front of another sold out away end and I, for one, can’t wait to be among the 2,700 strong Blue and White Army!