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Colchester United 2 Oldham Athletic 2

Gavin Browne
1/ 9/2008

DEANE Smalley's 88th minute strike rescued a point for Athletic as they came from two goals down at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Having only been on the field for six minutes, Smalley completed the visitors' comeback by stabbing home Lee Hughes' cross after Dean Gerken had made a pickle of Neal Eardley's free kick.

While questions may be asked about the manner in which Latics found themselves adrift, what cannot be doubted is the character among the players who came from two down for the second time this season.

The 'great escape' capped a slightly surreal afternoon which saw kick-off delayed for 10 minutes because of crowd congestion, only for the official attendance to be announced as 4,708 - not the type of figure to normally leave match officials quaking in their boots.

Add a Latics supporters bus which went to Colchester's former ground instead, two efforts which struck the woodwork, a referee who turned the match into a non-contact encounter and you have a more entertaining afternoon than had looked on the cards.

The first half-hour was especially dire, and although there was a swirling wind for players to contend with, both teams only succeeded in giving the ball to each other.

That all changed in the build-up to half-time, the catalyst being the first piece of decent football that John Sheridan's side put together. Chris Taylor found Lewis Alessandra whose lay-off found Danny Whitaker, only for the midfielder to fire wide from 20 yards.

Whitaker was then involved in the move which saw Andy Liddell come within inches of opening the scoring, taking Kelvin Lomax's pass and rolling it to Liddell whose first-time effort cannoned back off the woodwork.

Sod's Law being what it is, it was the home side who took the lead three minutes before the break when Mark Yeates fired across Mark Crossley.

Yeates was also one of four first-half bookings as Hertfordshire official Paul Taylor threatened to ruin proceedings with an over-zealous display of refereeing.

It was Yeates who made it 2-0 18 minutes into the second half when, after Lewis Alessandra had lost possession in a good position, Colchester went upfield and Yeates found Crossley's left-hand corner.

However, Latics were given hope straight from the restart when Taylor beat Gerken for his fourth goal of the campaign. Clive Platt headed against the post for United four minutes later, but
for all their efforts, it seemed as if Athletic would go home empty-handed.

That changed though when, after Eardley was tugged back by David Perkins, the full-back's free kick was palmed by Gerken to Hughes. He fizzed the ball back into the six-yard area where Smalley found the net to spark delirious scenes among players, coaches and fans.