ROBBIE WILLIAMS picked the perfect moment to stroke home his first goal of the season as Town ended their away-day woes with a sweet and deserved derby success.

Having played with the elements in the first half at a wind and rain-lashed Boundary Park, Lee Clark’s side must have expected to be put under pressure in the second.

But the full-back’s strike direct from a 59th-minute free-kick seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Latics, who conjured just one genuine chance of an equaliser.

Williams arrived from Barnsley in 2007 with the reputation of possessing a highly dangerous left foot, and he certainly proved the point with his fifth goal in Town colours.

Reuben Hazell’s foul on Oldham-born Jordan Rhodes earned the home centre-back a booking and gave Town the free-kick 25 yards out.

As Williams and Anthony Pilkington, who had scored direct from a free-kick in a similar position at Charlton, hovered over the ball, skipper Peter Clarke played his part by running over and talking to the winger, who then ran towards the far post.

If it was a deliberate decoy, it worked, because Dean Brill, as well as the Oldham wall, certainly appeared to be distracted as Williams bent a shot around the defenders and beyond the fluorescent yellow-clad keeper’s reach.

The breakthrough was merited, because Town, aiming to end a run of five successive away defeats against a side who had kept five cleans sheets in seven games, had undoubtedly had the better of the chances.

Rhodes glanced a 37th-minute header from Pilkington’s well-delivered free-kick against the bar and over.

And two minutes later, the 3,909 Town fans behind the goal (an excellent turn-out and not that far off half the overall 8,569 crowd) rose as one to claim a penalty as Lee Novak’s shot appeared to make contact with centre-back Sean Gregan’s hand.

But with assistant Marvyn Amphlett’s flag remaining resolutely by his side and the man-mountain defender looking mightily relieved, referee Trevor Kettle ruled a corner rather than spot kick.

Town keeper Alex Smithies’ nerviest moment of the first half was of his own making, with his ninth-minute clearance from onrushing Town old boy Keigan Parker going straight to Danny Whitaker, whose low drive was blocked by Nathan Clarke.

Ex-Bradford duo Joe Colbeck and Dean Furman shot just over and narrowly wide respectively before the break, but the Town defence remained fairly untroubled until the 78th minute, when Andy Holdsworth broke forward and threaded a pass through to fellow former Galpharm man Pawel Abbott.

After his 51 goals for the club, Town supporters know all about Abbott’s prowess, and the striker who has netted five times since joining Oldham in the summer struck his angled shot well.

However Smithies got down brilliantly to block and the keeper looked on in relief as the subsequent clearance by Pilkington hit on-loan Blackburn player Nick Blackman but ricocheted over, rather than under the bar.

Gary Roberts and Michael Collins had earlier shot wide and over, and it was Town who looked the more threatening for the remainder of the match as Collins’ deflected shot was held by Brill before Rhodes glanced a header from a Williams’ free-kick narrowly wide.

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The delight at finally ending the away hoodoo and moving back into the top six was evident at the final whistle.

It’s ironic that, FA Cup replay permitting, Town now have three straight home matches.

But as well as making the second round of the Cup at the expense of Dagenham and Redbridge on Friday, the subsequent Saturday showdowns with Wycombe and Hartlepool present excellent opportunities to kick on in League I.