John Sheridan grows frustrated as Oldham let a lead slip again in Walsall defeat

Posted Wednesday, March 16, 2022 by PA

Oldham boss John Sheridan is worried his side’s habit of shooting themselves in the foot could cost them their Football League status after they again let a lead slip to lose 2-1 at Walsall.

The visitors took the lead through Will Sutton’s header, only hours after Oldham had recalled the 19-year-old defender from a loan spell at National League North side Farsley Celtic.

But Emmanuel Osadebe drilled the Saddlers level and set up former Latics loanee Conor Wilkinson for a winner that Sheridan claimed should have not stood.

The Latics are three points from safety after a winless run of five games, but they have taken the lead in four of those matches and Sheridan believes they lack game-management qualities.

“It’s happened a few times now in the last couple of weeks – to go 1-0 up, and then concede a poor, poor goal, where we should defend it a lot, lot better,” he said.

“There was effort from the players but when you’re in front, in the position we’re in, it’s about decisions and how you take care of the game and see the game through.

“Their winning goal is clearly offside, I’ve seen it on the video. But I can talk all day and make excuses. I’s another game where we should be going home with something.

“When we go ahead, we should have a bit of nous to see the game through. It’s happening too often when we go in front – we are killing ourselves by letting teams get back in the game.

“I’m 100 per cent confident we can stay up, there are good signs there, but the last three games we haven’t picked any points up.”

Walsall continued their excellent run under new boss Michael Flynn, with four wins and two draws in seven games lifting them to the comfort of mid-table.

Flynn said: “We’re nearly safe, but I’ll never say we’re safe until it’s mathematically done. That’s another big step though.

“We’ve got a struggling squad at the minute, in terms of fitness, but other people have got to step up and show they deserve to be part of this football club.

“Now, I will find out a lot about the players. If any of them think it’s done and dusted, and we can sit back and put our feet up, they’re going to be really, really badly mistaken.

“I want to make sure we finish as high as we can.

“Oldham caused us one or two problems in the first half as they’ve got some clever players who kept dropping into the pockets.

“But the character from the players to come back and win from behind for the first time this season was all I could ask for.”