Oldham striker Norwood looks ahead to derby at Rochdale

Latics go into Saturday lunchtime's crucial derby at Rochdale fourth in the table, six points off new leaders Forest Green Rovers, with a six-point cushion inside the play-off positions.

But Norwood, whose perfect first-half hat-trick fired Oldham to a 4-0 win in their last game to keep momentum high in the run-up to a busy festive period, says he is not concerning himself with the current National League standings. Instead he only wants to be fixated on the next fixture.

"We only look one game ahead. It's so cliched to say, and you'd like to say 'yes, we've only lost two games and we've put these wins together', but we haven't looked at the league, we're not focusing on where we are in the league, we're just looking at Rochdale on Saturday and trying to get three points," said the striker.

"We've still got things to work on. At 3-0 (against Tamworth) we were a little bit complacent but we came in and were self-aware enough to know that so we tried to put that right in the second half.

"It shows how we've grown as a team that we're coming in at 3-0 and going 'do you know what, we can do better'.

"If we can score goals - we're a team capable of scoring goals, we defend by attacking and that's the way we play. We've got two flying wing backs, two forward thinking midfielders and strikers that want to score goals and run it behind.

"If teams are defending against us they're going to struggle to score."

And Norwood feels the return of Josh Stones has been a timely boost to their ammunition, backing the young forward to pick up where he left off.

Josh Stones is looking to pick up where he left off with Latics (Image: Phill Smith)The 21-year-old started the first National League game of his second loan spell at the weekend and linked with Norwood for the first goal in the veteran striker's first hat-trick in 11 years.

Norwood and Stones had proved a potent combination in their brief time together last season, with six goals and four assists between them in the four games they started before Stones' stay at Boundary Park was cut short by injury in the final game of 2023.

After persistent attempts to secure his return, the 21-year-old penned another Latics loan deal And Norwood feels this could be a significant deal for the club.

"He'd been to a few games and I was still in contact with him when he was at Wigan so I knew it was getting done, it was just a matter of when. So when I saw him on the first day, big hug, and I said I'm looking forward to playing with you again," last season's top scorer explained.

"Since he came back in we've had a laugh and said if we get the opportunity to play together let's just carry on from where we left off."

And so it proved on Saturday as the two combined for Norwood's first of his treble.

"The first goal he tackles someone and gives me an assist from six yards, so if he keeps doing that I'll be happy," he smiled.

"He reminds me of myself when I was his age. He's eager, he runs and puts himself about and he's just a handful, and that allows me to play a little bit differently now I'm a little bit older. He's got great energy, great legs and he's got a footballing brain. It's just an understanding of where he's at, where I'm at and he listens.

"The biggest thing for me as a player up front is that he listens to what I say and he takes it on board. So it just becomes 'Stonesy stay there, Stonesy go here' and he does and then I know exactly where he's going to be at all times, and then his legs and he's definitely got ability too."

But it's a relationship that extends off the field as well.

"He's a bit of a maverick," Norwood added. "I really enjoy being friends with him more than anything.

"He calls me Grandad, and he's always willing to learn and listen and I've always got on with young lads who want to learn, they want to listen and they take things on board. Even if they call me Grandad."