A point in the bag from the first day and now back indoors to get this new term – we hope – properly into gear against the Latics. If our guests from lockdown Lancashire hadn’t got rid of Dino Maamria this summer, you’d think there’d have been an extra edge to this one. But our ex-boss ain’t coming back to the Lamex in the away dugout after all. Meanwhile, you feel as if our current one is close to his first win at the helm since taking charge on 16 February.
February, eh? It seems a lifetime ago. Mad this is only Revs’ fifth proper game in charge.
The Details: Stevenage v Oldham Athletic
Where’s the game?
It’s at our gaff. The gates are still gonna be locked shut, however.
Can I watch Stevenage v Oldham Athletic?
You can. Not for the first time in these weird times (or, indeed, the last), you can see all the action on iFollow. You can buy yourself a Match Pass for a mere tenner to pay as you go. If you’re now the holder of a season ticket, however, you should’ve received your free passes by email. If you haven’t, don’t moan at us. It really isn’t our fault.
How are Boro’ shaping up…?
Two games, two draws. That’s the simple way to sum up how we’ve kicked off the 2020-1 campaign. Sure, one of those draws ended up in a defeat on pelanties to end our League Cup run. But it’s the league we’re most fussed about. And that’s with good reason, seeing as last season went badly off piste. A long and tricky trip to Barrow gave neither them nor us the dream start we wanted. But it was a point from a losing position. And we’ll take it…
… and how are they looking?
Now, the Latics could have a potential advantage here. This will be their fourth game of the season, which is one more than us. The reason is because they romped to victory in their opening League Cup match at home to Carlisle. Both games since have ended in a 1-0 loss; first to Orient in the league, then at Morecambe in the next round of the Carabao Cup. So, they’re looking at us as the chance to get off the mark in the league if nothing else.
But we aren’t so sure that we’re willing to let ’em…
Our story with Oldham Athletic so far
As our trip north to Boundary Park didn’t happen last season, it means our current head-to-head record is all square. From nine meetings, we’ve each won three times. And there are three draws in there – including last season’s borefest at the Lamex. Of course, we’re not going to be too down on that. It’s our most recent home league point. It also makes it three unbeaten against the Latics. Let’s keep that run going at the very least, eh?
Last Meeting: Stevenage 0-0 Oldham Athletic, 14 January 2020
Who’s the referee in charge?
It looks like Mr Breakspear is making up for lost time. In each of his first two games of the current campaign, the lad had cause to reach for his red card. But there was no-one sent off in his latest (and third) match on Tuesday. So, maybe it’s out of his system? Our main problem with this ref, however, is our recent form on his watch. It’s three straight defeats, which came off the back of three successive draws. You have to go back nearly three years for our last win with him. And that’s only a Football League Trophy match against Brighton’s kids.
Last Meeting: Stevenage 1-5 Crewe Alexandra, 21 December 2019
