This was neither a scoreline nor a performance to please the 450 who crossed the Pennines.
But the purpose of pre-season is to be ready for the big league opener, and if Town can collect three Championship points at home to Bournemouth on Saturday, events at SportsDirect.com Park will be swiftly forgotten.
There are lessons to remember, however, from a clash seen by 1,885 at what used to be Boundary Park.
Town certainly need to tighten up defensively after leaking two goals in three minutes late in the first half and another four minutes after Nahki Wells pulled one back with his first strike of the summer.
There was an element of fortune about the home side’s second, knocked in by Liam Kelly in the 37th minute after keeper Alex Smithies had got down well to save a penalty from Jonson Clarke-Harris, who had tumbled under Lee Peltier’s challenge.
But Town, once again skippered by Peltier, who played as the central centre-back in a 3-5-3 formation, were sluggish as they were undone down their left for Oldham’s opener, fired in low by James Dayton from right-back Brian Wilson’s delivery.
Up to that point, things had been pretty even, with Ollie Norwood having a shot deflected for a corner, Sean Scannell, again playing up front in the absence of James Vaughan, curling an effort off target and Adam Clayton, who made a third pre-season start amid more speculation of a switch to Brighon, heading wide.
But over the piece, Town old boy Paul Rachubka had far too easy a time, and while he was beaten by Wells in the 69th minute, he hardly had a save to make.
Any chance of a comeback was quickly extinguished as Clarke-Harris bent in a beauty, the ex-Peterborough player’s sixth goal of pre-season.
As Robins noted, Wells’ first will have done him good.
But Town failed to provide enough ball to either the Bermudian or Polish midfielder Radi Majewski, who was making the first start of his season-long loan from Nottingham Forest and flicked on Paul Dixon’s pass to tee up Wells for his goal.
Majewski showed a flash of his skill when wriggling through to create space for himself in the Oldham area in the 64th minute, but shot well wide.
But in general, there was little adventure from the visitors, who were unable to provide a real threat from any of their set-pieces, another area where improvement is needed.
New-look Oldham certainly gave local lad Mark Robins’ side a good work-out at their renamed ground.
And after two defeats in three games against League I sides, Town will seek a pick-me-up victory when they host Premier League Newcastle on Tuesday.
Oldham: Rachubka, B Wilson, Mills, Dieng, J Wilson (Elokobi, 76mins), Kelly (Mellor, 66), Dayton, Jones, Winchester (Rolandos, 76), Forte (Philliskirk, 66), Clarke-Harris (Gros, 76). Subs not used: Coleman, Brown, Hennigan, Truelove, Bove
Town: Smithies, Crooks (Smith, HT), Peltier, Lynch (Wallace, 80mins), Hammill, (Lolley, 63), Norwood, Clayton (Holmes, 80), Majewski (Sinnott, 69), Dixon (Carroll, 80mins), Scannell (Ward, HT), Wells. Sub not used: Murphy.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).
