Huddersfield Town will need to be much more ‘switched on’ against Nottingham Forest this coming Saturday – that is an absolute certainty.
The two goals Town scored at Boundary Park through trialist Cristian Lopez and new arrival Martin Paterson – his third in three pre-season matches – were outstanding and spoke volumes for some attractive approach play.
But the three they conceded to Lee Johnson’s League I side were very sloppy and highlighted there is still work to be done throughout the team before the whistle opens another Championship campaign at the City Ground.
The point was not lost on manager Mark Robins, who handed a start to fit-again midfield man Oscar Gobern and had Lopez on the bench after his promising cameo against Real Betis.
“We had the full range from some very, very good things to some very, very poor things in our performance, and hopefully we’ve got the latter our of our system now and we can focus on Forest,” said the boss, who admitted his heart was in his mouth when striker James Vaughan was knocked unconscious and had to go off (on 19 minutes).
“Vaughan’s injury upset the rhythm of things, but I wouldn’t have wanted to concede the goals we did and, hopefully, that will now have focused the bodies and minds of everyone on what we need to do this next weekend.
“We were sloppy, no doubt about that, and we can’t just go out and play in spells when we decide we are going to do.
“We have got to be ‘at it’ all the time and that’s especially in the Championship, we have to do that. We want to improve and we do know we have to be better than this.”
Vaughan’s injury withdrawal gave an extended run to Lopez and he didn’t disappoint.
His movement and work rate were good, he was inches off scoring just before the break and then, when he netted the equaliser to wipe out Jose Baxter’s 25th-minute penalty, he took up a great position and finished with a cracking header (63 minutes).
Adam Clayton’s cross was perfect, mind you, and followed some impressive, fluent build-up play, and Lopez was involved in the creation of Paterson’s strike just three minutes later – a poacher’s six-yard box finish from a brilliant low cross by Jack Hunt.
At that stage Town looked like they would power to victory, but four minutes later Oldham were level as the impressive Cristian Montano hooked in a shot after Town had initially blocked a free-kick from Baxter.
Five minutes later Montano was on target again to win it for the Latics, taking advantage of a disastrous Town throw-in and some slack picking up to slot past Alex Smithies from just inside the box.
Oldham keeper Mark Oxley, who had earlier denied Paterson, made a magnificent one-handed save to keep out Danny Ward, not long after the wingman had aimed wide from a good position, while in the first half, Gobern needed only to get the slightest touch on Adam Hammill’s cross and he would have scored.
Town – Alex Smithies; Paul Dixon (Jake Carroll, 54), Joel Lynch (Murray Wallace, 68), Peter Clarke, Jack Hunt (Tommy Smith, 81); Oscar Gobern (Danny Ward, 54), Oliver Norwood (Jordan Sinnott, HT); Adam Hammill (Sean Scannell, HT), Martin Paterson (Matt Crooks, 81), Adam Clayton; James Vaughan (Cristian Lopez, 19). Sub not used: Ian Bennett.
Attendance – 1,661 (Away: 406).
